We had a handful of leftover fabric scraps from our beach wraps, so we teamed up with Brit Resident Stylist Misty Spinney to come up with a trio of fashion-forward necklaces.

Materials:
- needle nose pliers
- wire cutters
- cord ends
- chain
- clasps + metal loops
- small key rings
- fabric scraps 

Gather all of your materials. To get all of your jewelry making essentials, head to Michael's or your local bead or craft store. 

For our first necklace, we used orange spandex! Cut three strips that are about 8 inches long, and three more strips that are about 10 inches long. Stretch each strip so that it curls, and cut down to 8 and 10 inches, respectively. 

Now, take 12 cord ends and attach them to each strip end. 

Attach each cord end to a loop, and then attach that loop to a small key ring. Now you've got your two necklace levels. Take the 8 inch section and attach both ends to a chain.

Attach the 10 inch section to the 8 inch section with two small sections of chain. 

So fun, and a perfect neon pop for summer.

Next, our peacock print spandex material. Do the same thing as you did with the orange to create rounded strips. We're going to do a 5 strand braid for this, so cut 5 strips. Attach cord ends to each strip. 

Then attach each end to a large key ring, or a necklace bar like we did. Tape the table and braid! Here is an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to do a 5 strand braid.

When you get to the end, tape it down. Now, use pliers to attach the ends to a key ring or necklace bar.

Remove tape, add a clasp, and voila!

For our last necklace, we combined the orange with the peacock to bring an earthy tone to our love of neon.

We used a regular braiding technique for this. Cut 6 strips of fabric in whatever mix you like. Use a flat cord end (pictured) to group strips into two sets of three. Braid! Secure the braided end with a cord end. 

For the pendant, we used large key rings and simply wrapped them in fabric. Use a spot of glue to keep them in place on both ends.

Not the braided fabric around the key rings, and you're almost done. The last step is to add your chain and clasp. Use the same methods as above, and measure around yourself. 

And there you have it!

Three chic pieces of neckwear made from scraps!

We know this tutorial is a little more complicated than some of our others, so please leave us a note in the comments below if you have questions. And if you give this a try, send photos our way via Twitter or Facebook!

Ingredients (makes 8 pops)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cups water
- 2 tbsp to 1/2 cup dried flowers 
- fresh edible flowers, rinsed and remove petals

Gather your flowers!

Choose your own flowers - fresh or dried - from this great list of edible flowers. We went with a potpourri, if you will, of lavender, elderflower, hibiscus, fresh rose, and fresh carnation. 

Then steep 'em. 

Heat sugar, water, and flowers in a saucepan over medium heat. Depending on how floral you like your pops, add between 2 tbsp and 1/2 cup of the dried flowers (we like ours to POP, so we use about 1/2 cup). Cover and remove from heat. Set aside for 1 hour, allowing the flowers to steep. Pour mixture into pop molds while straining out the flowers. 

Add the freshies. Freeze without stick for one hour, then remove from freezer and add fresh flower petals, arranging them evenly throughout the pop (you may have to push them down with the stick). Add sticks and freeze until solid.

Enjoy and be refreshed! Perhaps a batch of Flower Popsicles for breakfast and Kahlua Pudding Pops for dessert? 

Tried your hand at any summertime treats involving edible flowers? Leave us a note in the comments below or send recipe ideas and photos our way on Twitter. Happy May Flowers!

Diana Hardeman is the owner and chef of MilkMade Ice Cream, a craft ice cream of the month subscription service based in New York. Check out her ice cream adventures on her blog, Adventures in Ice Cream.

Materials:
- chalk pastels (not oil!)
- flat iron or curling iron

First, dampen the parts of your hair that you want to color. 

Then, take the chalk and rub it into the hair, just as you would color a piece of paper. Some pieces of your hair might stick up while you're doing it, but we'll take care of those in a minute.

Repeat this with all the pieces of hair you want to color.  

To seal the color in, use a flat iron or curling iron over the section of hair you've just colored. If you want a less concentrated streak, use a blow dryer to fluff your hair a bit, and spread out the colored strands. 

We, of course, like to keep things as bright and colorful as possible so we went with just the curling iron.

It's just a little burst of color, but it adds so much fun and playfulness to your typical look.

The chalking method is also great for adding a bit of color to classic hairstyles like the side fishtail braid and the sock bun. Don't be surprised if you see colored hair streaks popping up on the ladies of Brit & Co. in the coming weeks! ;)

We're also super excited to kick off our Bare Escentuals Buxom Color contest today!

Whether you're a gardener you grows the brightest tulips around, can't get enough of the neon eyeliner look, or love adding colorful pops to your home decor, the folks at Bare Escentuals want to know how you bring color into your life. And they want to reward you!

Here's how to enter:
1. Head to Flickr and upload a photo that displays you "living life vividly" along with a caption (200 characters or less) that describes the photo.
2. Tag it with this tag: BuxomPhotoContestHelloBrit
3. Be sure to mark the photo as public.
4. And then post a link to your photo in the comments below!

Winners will be judged on creativity and originality, the quality of your submission, and how well your photo displays you "living life vividly."

So, what do you get if you win?
- 1 $500 Visa Gift Card
- 2 Buxom Color Choreography eye shadow palettes
- 1 Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish
- 1 Buxom Lash Volumizing Mascara

Contest Rules:
- The contest is open to adults 18+ in the US only
- Contest ends on June 12th at 11:59pm Eastern Time
- Each person can enter up to 3 photos 
- Prize retail value is $609

For information about contests and more details about the Buxom Bare Escentuals contest, head over to the Terms of Use section of Brit & Co. 

This series is brought to you by Buxom Color Choreography Eyeshadow. Buxom wants to inspire you to live life vividly.

Sometimes you need to bring six bottles of wine, liquor, or sparkling cider to that picnic, potluck or BBQ. For those times, and for merriment in general, there is the Zebag. For ze wine, ze booze, and ze laughs.

Not only does the Zebag make carrying six bottles easy as pie, but you can use it for storage, and even for displaying in your kitchen or bar area. The 6-bottle pack is $60 on Amazon, and the 3-pack is $40, making it as affordable as it is convenient.

In bag mode, it's ridiculously handy for wine tasting trips or even just at the grocery store. In fact, it would come in pretty clutch in the duty free section of the airport.

In bar mode, it's a perfectly compact wine rack. You can even lay it across a counter top or credenza if you're hosting and need a quick solution for where to put all those bottles of wine your guests bring along.

Each Zebag comes with a wall rack attachment, making it simple to attach to a door or wall so you can hang your wine for easy access, especially helpful if you're tight on space.

Et Voila! Zebag! 

What do you think of the ZeBag? Know of any other helpful picnic contraptions? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter. Happy Wining and Dining! :)

When we first saw this edible candle concept from designer Stéphane Bureaux, we immediately dropped our jaws. It's brilliant! Once we had our jaws back in place, we decided to figure out if this candle innovation actually existed (or if we'd need to figure out how to make one ourselves).

Alas, we found Yum-Wick, the ONLY company that creates and sells edible candles. Not only that, but they make these sweet concoctions in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, including dark, milk or white chocolate.

Here are a few examples of the options available from their store:

Yes! Even personalized versions. We love anything custom-made.

They're affordable, too! These Yum-Wick candles range from $4 to $9 each, and last for 2-3 months. We're thinking of stocking up on a dozen to experiment with new types of fully edible desserts. 

Need ideas on ways to use these (beyond the standard birthday cake or cupcake)? Top your ice cream scoops, use in the middle of a soufflé (see above), or melt on top of a cookie for extra sweetness. We're not sure if these candles will melt all the way down, but will be ordering a batch to find out! And if they prove unsuccessful, we just may be back with an edible candle DIY of our own. Stay tuned.

How would you use edible candles? Leave us a note below or find us on Twitter.

First up, the @ coat hook (sale: $28). What's so clever about it is that you can use the inside of the "a" as storage for keys and small items, while the rest of the hook is perfect for hanging coats, scarves or umbrellas.

Next, a piece of art. This incredibly intricate wire "@" sculpture by Larry Kagan is made by assembling squiggly pieces of wire in a way that creates a very recognizable image when the light hits the wire just right. Love shadow art? See more clever shadow concepts.

And finally, perhaps the geekiest, most pun-filled, bottle opener. If you've used a computer for more than a few months, you probably know that the keyboard shortcut "CTRL+O" is used to "open" a file or folder. But this handy little tool proves CTRL+O can also be used to pop open a beer. And, it's available for just $15 on Fab. Just remember, there's no CTRL+Z once you've had too many drinks ;)

Found any other awesome household geekery we should know about? Shoot us links in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Lucky for you, we're here to help. Here are 5 creative bow tie shops, all found on Etsy. Best of all, almost all of these tie shops offer made-to-order customization, so if the tie you want isn't available, simply contact them and they'll likely whip it right up!

1. Fox & Brie: We'll start with the most traditional. These handcrafted bow ties are charming and on the slightly rustic side. Great for an outdoor event, or for a city night that could use a little country, many of these have complementary ties and ascots if you want to get matchy matchy with friends. Oh, and we think Fantastic Mr. Fox would definitely shop here. The standard bow ties are $32, while ascots and ties vary. 

2. Cyberoptix Tie Lab: Billed as "Ties That Don't Suck," Cyberoptix's ties are hand screenprinted and perfect for gussying up a gang of groomsmen. Their designs are much more graphic and include patterns based on blueprints, maps, honeycombs, typography and more. Each bow tie is $40. 

3. Cloutseu: Often referred to as Papillon (French for butterfly), floppy ties are experiencing a serious comeback thanks to shows like Mad Men and Pan Am. This shop combines fun, novelty fabrics with playful and classic bow tie styles. Nerds that we are, we totally love the robot bow tie. And some of them are even reversible! Most of their bow ties run at $20 a pop. 

4. Wire Bow Ties by TREi: These are definitely for the more experimental fella. Each of these ties is made from lightweight wire and fastens around with an elastic band. Each of these wiry dears is $20. And yes, we smell a DIY in the works at Brit HQ. ;)

5. Wood Thumb Ties: Admittedly, we're partial to the regular old wooden tie, but are digging the creative use of woodgrain on the bow variety. Bow ties are $32 and ties are $36. This wearable wooden things shop is located right here in San Francisco, and all their products use reclaimed redwood from barns, bridges, and tunnels that have been torn down.

Are you a dashing dude who needs to up his style game? What fashion questions can we at Brit & Co. answer for you? Leave us a note in the comments below or seek advice on Twitter.

Ingredients (makes 6-8 pudding pops):
- 1 package jello pudding
- 1 cup of milk
- 3/4 cup kahlua
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup of cool whip

Materials:
- 1-inch plastic tubing (available on Uline)
- 1 small funnel
- string

First, mix up your pudding!

Pour the packet of pudding mix into a bowl, add 1 cup of milk and whisk. Then add the kahlua and vodka and keep mixing. Lastly, fold in the cool whip. Place in the fridge while you prepare the tubing. 

Because we used a large mixing bowl, we poured our pudding into a milk carton to store in the fridge, but also to make the pouring process easier.

To prep your tubing, simply cut off six pieces of tubing, about 12 inches long each. Tie a knot at one end either with the tubing itself or with a string.

Now it's time to funnel! Our funnel was slightly larger than the opening in the tube, so we cut a small slit to make it fit. Now, pour your pudding!

Use your finger to squeeze out any excess before tying the other end.

Repeat until you're out of pudding.

Place in the freezer until you're ready to serve! These pops won't become completely frozen like a popsicle, but more like a smoothie. 

Since they have a pudding like consistency, you can throw them in a cooler for a picnic, and they'll be perfectly thawed when you're ready to imbibe.

And yes, these count as both a dessert and a shot. If you play your cards right (aka follow our directions), each of these adorable pops is equivalent to just under a shot! Love it.

What poptail recipes have you been cooking up? If you give this a try, we'd love to see photos. Leave us a note in the comments below or send recipes, photos and ideas our way on Twitter.

Our favorite part of summer? The excuse to buy a brand new sunglasses. Sure, the scratched up neon wayfarer-style sunnies are still cool, but new summers mean new shades. Today we turned to Urban Outfitters, ModCloth, NeedSupply and J. Crew and found 20 stylish pairs for geeks, fashionistas, girly girls, retro folks, and, of course, mavericks. 

For the Geek
First up, nerd alert! We've got sunglasses that fold, ones that make you look like Buddy Holly, and even a pair that embrace the uni-brow. ;)

1. Rubber Folding Sunglasses ($18) 

2. Ray-Ban Clubmaster Sunglasses ($145)

3. Espresso Yourself ($12) 

4. Lisa's Leopard Flat Tops ($14) 

For the Fashionista
Next, four pairs of glam sunnies. From Karen Walker's bubble gum pink shades to House of Harlow 60s throwbacks, these are all fashion-forward and hot.

5. Harvest Fluorescent Pink ($280) 

6. Glint of Glamour ($12) 

7. Farrah Mirrored Sunglasses ($16) 

8. House of Harlow 1960 Sunglasses ($125) 

For the Girly Girl
Girly girls unite! These are all super sweet and would look right at home in a Katy Perry music video. 

9. Sweetheart Sunglasses ($14) 

10. South of 5th Cat Eye Sunglasses ($16) 

11. Adorn Bow Wayfarers ($14) 

12. Selima Sun Sophia Sunglasses ($128)

For the Retro Folks
All about vintage? So are sunglasses. Each of these celebrates a classic style that can be yours without the vintage sticker shock.

13. Feline ($18) 

14. Poolside Round Frame Sunglasses ($16) 

15. Fine Line Sunglasses ($16) 

16. Super Stud Cat-Eye ($16) 

For the Maverick
Aviators will never go out of style. Here are 4 of our faves. 

17. Barn Stormer ($18) 

18. Quite the Sight Sunglasses ($12) 

19. Cutler and Gross Sunglasses ($450)

20. Revo Modern Aviator Sunglasses ($14) 

Stay tuned for a DIY tutorial on fun ways to make old sunglasses new again. Happy summer! 

At this point, there are hundreds of fun, fancy, and functional iPhone docks. Some charge. Some don't. Some give your iPhone a spot to stand on that kind of makes it look like a symphony conductor. And some magically manage to blend your beloved iPhone into a design aesthetic that suits your home, are a pleasure to wake up to, and make sure your iPhone is charged and ready to go as soon as you are.

1. Retro Docking Station ($50): First up, we have a classic retro clock shape that incorporates the iPod rather whimsically. It wake you up with your favorite tunes, and the built-in speakers provide rockin' tunes all morning long. And there's a snooze button!

2. Areaware Alarm Dock ($30): We love this one so much that we've already written about it. But, since it's an alarm clock that embraces analog design, here we are praising it again. This time, we're all about the black flip clock and it's sleek retro look. One important note about this dock is that you use your own charger to power it. You simply pull it through the back of the dock, and you're good to go. 

3. iLive Clock Radio ($50): Similar to the first dock but with a much more digital 80s-era look, the iLive charges your iPhone and connects to your phone's clock, so you never have you set your clock again. The free downloadable app includes new clock designs, FM radio, and more. 

4. The CDock ($70): Like the Areaware, this clock embraces the flip clock aesthetic. We love the wood grain! And love the idea of using this is as a super mini flat screen TV. ;) 

5. Day Maker iPhone Alarm Toaster ($125): And finally, an alarm clock that really pops! ;) The Day Maker is a double charging iPhone dock (perfect for all couples) that turns your iPhone into a piece of toast. No, it doesn't cook your iPhone but it does take the playfulness of a toaster pop and apply it to an iPhone doc. When it's time to wake up, your iPhone pops up and plays your favorite wake-up tunes. To snooze, simply push it back in the toaster and savor nine more minutes of slumber. If all goes well on Kickstarter, the Day Maker will ship in early 2013. 

What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Got a stylish alarm clock dock we might dig? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind… You know we can't resist a Will Smith reference, especially one from the 90s. For this week's tech focus, we turn to a roundup of gadgetry that's sure to make for a hot summer.

1. Waterproof Nikon Camera ($200): Perhaps you've purchased one too many disposable underwater cameras in your day and need an upgrade? We firmly believe that the more pictures you have, the merrier, and under the sea is no exception. This Nikon is shock-proof, freeze-proof, and totally water-proof to a depth of 33 feet. And it can take full HD movies! 

2. Liquipel ($59-$79): Liquipel is a crazy substance that actually makes your smartphone waterproof! We don't totally understand how it works, but you send your iPhone or Android to the folks at Liquipel and they make the magic happen. Apparently the substance they use is "thinner than air" so it doesn't change the weight, feel or aesthetic of your darling phone. 

3. Eco Pod Waterproof Smartphone Case ($42): Not quite convinced by Liquipel? Or simply need a way of carrying your smartphone (and other necessities) when you venture into the big blue? The Eco Pod works with just about every mp3 player and smartphone, is 100 percent waterproof, submersible, and floats. The outside includes a volume control knob, waterproof headset jack, belt clip and carabiner. Plus, there's an additional storage area in the pod for ear buds, credit cards, cash, and even a spare key.  

4. Waterproof Headphones ($31): What goes perfectly with an Eco Pod? A pair of totally waterproof headphones, of course. These puppies are great for swimming laps, boating it up, or simply floating around on the river. 

5. Kindle WaterGuard ($20): We love to unplug at the beach but carrying around a pile of books in your suitcase hardly leaves you feeling footloose and fancy free. Load up your Kindle and drop it into a WaterGuard and read oceanside to your heart's content.

6. Rukus Solar Sound System ($150): Heading somewhere off the grid but with plenty of sunshine? Use the strong sun to power your dance party. The Rukus Solar Sound System has a solar panel allowing it to charge off of the sun, and, like the Jambox, connects to your devices via Bluetooth. 

7. Waterfi Shuffle Swim Kit ($150): The Waterfi Shuffle Swim Kit is perfect for folks looking to get into some serious aqua fitness. It includes a waterproofed iPod shuffle, waterproof headphones, and a mounting kit allowing you to attach the waterfi to a headband, arm band, hat, helmet, etc.

8. Aquapac ($30-$70): Aquapacs come in a variety of sizes ready to protect all of your devices. They're great for storing all of your electronics if you know you'll be splishing and splashing around, or if you're worried about a summer storm.  

9 .Hi Sun Towel with Speakers ($77): The product name kind of says it all here. It's a beach towel with speakers! It folds into a backpack for easy transport and additional storage, includes an inflatable pillow, and works with any smartphone or mp3 player with a 3.5mm universal jack. And the lithium battery that powers this rockin' towel is rechargeable via USB! 

10. Sip N' Go ($8): Staying hydrated is always the most important thing to remember on a hot summer day. Keep a sip n'go in your purse, pocket, or beach tote so you know you've always got a water bottle to fill. Unlike other similar portable water bottles, the Sip N'Go is top rack dishwasher safe making it easy to keep clean.

11. Polar Insulated Water Bottle ($11): If you need to keep cool on the go, this water bottle is for you. It insulates your beverages and keeps their original temperature for up to 24 hours. 

12. Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler Plus Blender ($50): Everyone loves an icy blended drink when they're lazing in the sun. Mix those margaritas up directly in a cooler and make the transition from kitchen to beach all the easier. Plus, the cooler keeps your drinks cold for up to 8 hours! 

13. Kelsyus Portable Hammock ($107): If you're not quite sure where you're headed but know you want to lounge when you get there, pack this cozy portable hammock. And if you happen to find a pair of awesome hammock-ready trees, remove the hammock from the base, grab some sturdy rope, and tie it up. 

14. Juice Bag Solar Beach Tote ($249): If you didn't stock up on solar powered goodness at the onset of spring, you might dig this energizing beach tote. Like backpacks of a similar variety, the Juice Bag keeps all of your devices juiced, and carries all the essentials for a day at the park, beach, or lake. 

Heading somewhere with an outrageous amount of sunshine? Be sure to also check out our roundup of 15 Goods and Gadgets Powered by Sunshine. And if you know of any awesome summer gadgets we've gotta check out, let us know in the comments below or on Twitter.

The Etcher takes the awesomeness of the classic Etch A Sketch and combines it with the iPad for a fun, modern upgrade. And no, it's not just a case. It actually works!
Once you slip your iPad into the Etcher case, open up the Etcher App and get ready for a dose of nostalgic revelry. As you turn the Etcher's knobs, lines appear on the iPad screen, exactly like the original Etch A Sketch. It even erases when you shake it!

But, in a lot of ways, it's better than the original. If you find yourself particularly proud of your latest sketch, you can save and share the photo with family and friends, and you can even save a time-lapse film of the drawing process. It really takes the art of the Etch A Sketch to a whole new level. 

Best of all, the Etcher makes the Etch A Sketch much more relevant to kids today. Parents can show off their etching mastery, and kids can add the Etcher to their arsenal of creative digital gadgets. 

The Etcher is currently looking for funding over on Kickstarter. Founder Ari Krupnik is working directly with Apple and Ohio Art Company (Etch A Sketch's parent company) to get all the licensing in place, and are even toying with the idea of manufacturing the Etcher in Ohio Art's Etch A Sketch factory! If you choose to fund, cases will ship around October. We can't wait to try it out!

What do you think of the Etcher? Do you have any favorite iPad cases that do more than simply protect your iPad? Share thoughts and links in the comments below or by saying hi on Twitter.

1. Cork Planter Bookend Set ($48): Sandwich your favorite books between a pair of these ridiculously useful cork planter bookends. We love the idea of using these for herbs in the kitchen with cookbooks in between and recipes tacked on. 

2. Sky Planter Inverted Flower Planter ($18): A great solution for a small living space, the sleek "Slo-Flo" internal irrigation system feeds water directly into the roots without dripping. Mix a few of these with a couple of pendant lamps for a gorgeous ceiling-scape. 

3. Concrete Geodesic Planter ($68): Each of these planters is hand-cast by an artisan in Maine, and is inspired by historical geodesic dome architecture made famous by Buckminster Fuller. Lovely for succulents.

4. Ceramic Pig Planter ($30): Another Etsy find, this bright orange pig planter is made to order using a vintage 60s mold. Perhaps a good repurpose project for an old piggy bank?

5. Railing/Balcony Planter ($28): Want to turn your teeny balcony into a full on backyard? We think this would pair perfectly with the Handrail Grill. 

6. Turning Triangles Terrarium ($39): Nothing complements a playful group of succulents like an industrial-looking geometric terrarium. 

7. Wearable Planter ($20): Made by the same folks as the bike planter we're so fond of, this darling necklace is a great way to carry a little extra greenery wherever you go.

8. Pony Planters Set of 5 ($199): A sculptural plant system great for a small balcony or fire escape, these galvanized steel oblongs stack any way you like.

9. Salad and Herb Vertical Planter ($16): Like the pony planters, you can configure these pockets in any pattern you like. They're great for herbs and lettuces, and anything you'd like to have on hand in the kitchen.

10. Outdoor/Indoor Post Planter ($92): Kind of like tiki torches for plant life, these post planters add an awesome pop of color to any yard, and can contain herbs, succulents, and whatever small bits of flora you like.

How do you bring leafy greens and sweet succulents into your home? Know of any innovative planters we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

First up, Stylebook. The Stylebook app lets you add items to your virtual “closet”, pull items together to create “looks”, gather inspiration and ideas for outfits, schedule your outfits on a calendar, and many more cool features. The app is $3.99 in the app store and is compatible with both the iPhone and iPad.

To use Stylebook the first step is to individually upload all of the items in your closet into different categories. You can do this by either taking a photo, copying and pasting a photo from your browser, or choosing an existing photo on your iPhone. After you upload the photo, use Stylebook's background removal tool so that you can easily add pieces together. 

Once all of your clothing items are uploaded and organized into your new digital closet, you can then start piecing together outfits or “looks” as well as take advantage of the other features the app has to offer.

We love Stylebook but some users may find it time consuming or technically difficult to upload a photo of every single item of clothing you own and remove the background of the photo so it looks nice when you combine the clothing items to make outfits. If you're more into keeping track of great outfits, you'll definitely love Cloth. 

With Cloth, rather than individual items of clothing, the focus is on the outfit. The app makes it simple to snap a photo of outfits you wear and then organize them into categories such as work, everyday, and vacation.

Once you have taken photos of your outfits you can view them in your feed. You can also easily share your outfits on your social networks to get opinions from friends and family.

For some, Cloth may be a better virtual closet solution because the app makes it simple to quickly snap a photo of each outfit you wear and organize it into a category. Then, when you need inspiration to figure out what to wear you can just glide through your feed or you can browse through your outfits. The app also makes it fun to discover new outfits in your closet and snap photos of them for future looks. You can purchase the Cloth app for $0.99 through May.

No matter which app you choose, stop stressing about what to wear each morning and start organizing your closet with your iPhone! Know of any other apps that help you get your threads organized? If you use these and end up finding clothes you really don't wear, be sure to flip 'em over on Threadflip! (Clueless image via Norwegianne)  

Kamaila Sanders is the cofounder of Chalkpack, a new startup that offers a digital space for students and young adults to grow professionally and build their personal brand. In the past, Kamaila has written for Business Insider about new gadgets and technologies. Kamaila is passionate about helping women to understand how technology can improve their lives as well as discover the really cool things they can do with it! You can follow her on Twitter: @KamailaSanders.

1. Aperol Citrus Pops: We'll kick things off with a poptail! Like Campari, Aperol goes oh-so-swimmingly with citrus. Mix it up like a drink, pour into shot glasses with cookie sticks, freeze, and serve! (Recipe and photo: Bella Eats) 

2. Chocolate and Salted Caramel Pudding Pops: Pretty sure we include a recipe that involves salted caramel in just about every dessert-y recipe roundup we churn out. It's just SO good. Definitely a gourmet take on the Fudgsicle. (Recipe and photo: Bakers Royale) 

3. Pumpkin Pie Popsicles: Craving the flavors of Thanksgiving in the heat of a hot May night? Boom. Pumpkin Pie Popsicles. All you need is Greek yogurt, pumpkin purée, vanilla or honey, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Yum! (Recipe and photo: Family Fresh Cooking) 

4. Strawberry Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops: Nothing says warm weather like a slice of juicy watermelon. It's sweet, hydrates you, and you have an excuse to spit seeds at anyone who crosses your path. This ingenious popsicle method employs a loaf pan lined in plastic and a super sharp knife to cut popsicles after freezing. (Recipe and photo: And then I do the dishes) 

5. Rainbow Paddle Pop Fudge: Color. Color. Color. We're totally cheating by including this one, but we couldn't resist. These colorful little suckers are actually solid fudge pops, and don't even step foot in the freezer. (Recipe and photo: Raspberri Cupcakes) 

6. 4th of July Cocktail Cooler Popsicles: Or as we like to call them, Ombre Pops! These gradient-loving darlings combine blueberry puree, POM juice, pear juice, vodka, and triple sec and, clearly, pack a punch. (Recipe and photo: Endless Simmer) 

7. Easter Egg Pops: Toot our own horn? Don't mind if we do! More a preparation and less a recipe, these egg-shaped treats are too cute to be reserved only for Easter. (Recipe and photo: Brit & Co.) 

8. Halo Halo Ice Pops: Based on the Filipino dessert halo-halo, these colorful pops incorporate a mix of evaporated milk, shaved ice, ube ice cream, sweet palm fruit, and more. (Recipe and photo: CHOW)

9. Samoa Popsicles: Samoa cookies, in popsicle form. Yes! Coconut pudding, milk, vanilla, samoas, toasted coconut, and, the kicker, Magic Shell. YUM. And, thanks to the handy Zoku Quick Pop Maker, you can take these from dream to reality in 10 minutes flat. (Recipe and photo: My Baking Addiction) 

10. Mojito Popsicles: Our second poptail (that's right, popsicle + cocktail), these are insanely simple and happen to look pretty lovely too. For charming straws like the ones pictured, check out Shop Sweet Lulu. (Recipe and photo: @Down Under) 

11. Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles: Cheesecake popsicles. Yes, your dreams have come true. We love the idea of sandwiching these pops between a couple graham crackers for a little extra oomph. (Recipe and photo: Brooklyn Supper) 

12. Chocolate Kiwi Popsicles: Frozen fruit gets a chocolatey upgrade in this simple kiwi pop. Yum! (Recipe and photo: ShowFood Chef) 

What frozen treats are you excited to make now that the weather is warming up? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. And stay tuned for more popsicle madness all week long!

Tetris Swimsuit: Beach chic doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your inner geek. We love this aquatic ode to Tetris. Stay tuned for more geek chic swimwear finds in the next few weeks.  

Wordless Web: Sometimes you just want to look at really pretty pictures. Wordless Web is a simple browser plugin that acts as a "remove copy" button for any website you're on. The effect on our site isn't too dramatic, as we love pretty pictures too. But try it on Facebook and revel in the lack of "I just ate a sandwich for lunch" status updates. 

Keyboard Makes Drinks: Haven't you always wanted to know what glitter tastes like? In alcoholic form? Well lucky for you, a Russian named Morskoiboy decided to create a keyboard that can turn any word into a drink. Each letter is connected to a tube which is connected to flavored syrups. Top your concoction off with a serving of booze, and there you have it. 

Electronic Drum Machine Shirt: That's right. A drum machine on a t-shirt. It actually works, and you can even record loops and create a full on musical composition. 

MacBook Cutting Board: Initial shock turned into giddy glee when we stumbled across this Apple-centric number. A cutting board or serving block carved into the likeness of a MacBook Pro.  

Boxetti Furniture Modules: Minimalist design meets high functionality in these incredible furniture modules. Each module can be transformed into a compact block “in order to obtain an unobstructed and comfortable space - free of uselessness.” We could definitely use a few of these at HQ. :)

iPhone Business Cards: Obviously, these were a huge hit at Brit & Co. These sweet business cards look exactly like your iPhone lock screen and contact page. Talk about digital-meets-analog!

Twice the Vice Chocolates: Chocolates that not only have alcohol inside but actually taste like cocktails? Sign us up. Naturally, we’re partial to the Chick Drinks Collection which includes Margarita, Cosmopolitan and Chocolate Martini flavors. 

Salt & Pepper Maracas: Does your dinner table need a musical facelift? Bust out these playful salt and pepper maracas and don't be surprised if your guests break out into a conga line.

Pencil Sharpener Ring: Doodlers, artists, teachers, and students rejoice! This gorgeous ring happens to be a fully functional pencil sharpener too! It’ll set you back a cool $225 but is just begging for a DIY attempt. 

Whale Tissue Holder: The sniffles are no good, even if they're just a result of allergy season. Let this sweet wooden whale take care of you.  

Stumble across some goodness we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. Happy Friday!

We get it. It was a busy week. It slipped your mind. Don't feel bad, we're multi-taskers, too. But we're also here to make sure you that you tell your mom how much you love her on Sunday.

Thus, we've rounded up four super duper last minute apps to use for sending your mom an awesome virtual gift this year:

1) Karma

Karma has basically been my go-to gifting app since it launched a few months ago. With a few clicks, I can use my phone to send friends or family any assortment of gifts from the Karma digital store as well as a virtual card to celebrate the occasion. The best part? Once they receive your gift, your recipient can exchange it for whatever else they want in the store without you ever even knowing! So, for example, if those new jeans you bought mom weren't carrying enough of the "Mom Jean spirit," she can always replace them with a planter or pretty necklace instead.

2) Wantful

Similar to Karma, Wantful is a way to let your recipient ultimately choose their own gift. You can use Wantful's gift suggestion guide to inform the site all about your giftee and her lifestyle preferences. Once done, you're able to choose 16 different potential gifts that you think your mom would enjoy. She will receive an email as well as an actual book (!) showcasing each gift option, and then can choose among them all. It's great for those who aren't quite sure what mom would actually enjoy (which, let's face it, is probably all of us).

3) Wrapp

If you aren't into choosing a gift, but know the stores your mom loves, your best bet is to give her a gift card. A new service called Wrapp (both a website and a mobile app) lets you do that in just a couple of clicks. You can choose stores ranging from Sephora to Gap to H&M and decide how much cash to dedicate to your mom's shopping spree. While you're there, pick up a gift card of your own! Wrapp is offering free gift cards as part of their targeted retailer campaigns. Check it out and see if you can scope any great deals.

4) Skillcrush

Okay, so maybe you already have a great gift for your mom, but you want to send her something virtual that's also free… enter Skillcrush, a new site that is aimed at increasing digital literacy -- particularly among women. You can choose up to 5 terms to teach mom, ranging from CSS to IP Address. Before you know it, your mom will be using software jargon at the dinner table! What better gift than a mom who can speak your language? (Editor's Note: This site is kind of amazing for anyone that wants to beef up on their technical terms, not just moms.)

What other super duper last minute gifts are you getting your mom? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. And to all of you moms reading this, Happy Mother's Day!

Now that you've picked out your perfect grill, it's time to get yourself to the beach! When we saw this wrap in the latest Victoria's Secret catalog we knew we had to make it, and we knew we could make it rock. Head to a fabric store or grab a scarf you never wear, and get ready to wrap it up.

Materials:
- 1 yard of fabric 
- lace trim, ribbon, shoelaces
- sharp fabric scissors
- sewing machine or needle and thread

First, gather your materials! For your fabric, we recommend lycra, spandex, sheer mesh, or anything else that doesn't fray when you cut it, but use whatever you like!

We employed two different methods for creating our beach dress. One where you use a strip of fabric to make shoulder straps, and one where you use lace trim. We'll start with the fabric on fabric variety.

Cut a strip off one end of your fabric. We recommend using the crevice of a table or drawing a pencil line with a ruler to get a straight cut. Set the strip aside.

Next, fold over the top two corners of your piece of fabric. This is where you'll string the strip through to create a strap. Use a sewing machine or needle and thread to sew the corner. Trim off any excess fabric.

Now it's time to string the strip through! Use a safety pin or paper clip and attach it to the end of the strip. Push it through opening you just made. Keep going until it comes out the other side.

Sew the loop ends together and cut off any excess fabric. 

Repeat with the other side, and you're done!

And here's how you put it on. 

Cutie patootie from any angle!

We used the same method with this peacock print, but shortened the width of the fabric to create more coverage up top. ;)

For our second method, we complemented fabric with lace trim. 

Measure the trim by draping it over your shoulder.

Cut two pieces for each strap, and pin the trim onto the fabric.

Time to sew!

For these, we sewed on some additional lace to create a tie in the back so it stays on more securely.

Loving it!

We used the same steps for this purple leopard print scarf, an old H&M purchase. The only difference is that we folded it in half to create an extra layer.

And there you have it. Two easy ways to turn any piece of fabric into a sexy, stylish beach wrap!

How do you get beach-ready for summer? Got a DIY towel bag we should check out? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter. We love to hear from you!

You've busted out the flip flops, sunscreen and are already sporting all your favorite sundresses. Summer's just about here, and it's time to get your barbecue on. Whether you're a country gal or an urbanite, we've rounded up a dozen awesome grills ready to handle all those hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie kebabs, and cobs of corn.

1. FireSense Notebook Charcoal Grill ($32): Great for the city dweller who has to head to the park or suburbs to grill it up, the notebook grill folds flat to just 1 inch thick and takes a simple two steps to set up.

2. Bodum Fyrkat Grill ($40): This portable grill is fiery orange and sits securely above any surface in its small steel base. Just over 13 inches in diameter, this little puppy can accommodate whole fish, burgers, steaks and more. Whip up a batch of baseball jello shots, and you've got a rockin' San Francisco Giants tailgate party. 

3. Fuego Element Portable Gas Grill ($150): Do you wear your love of bbq on your sleeve? How 'bout carrying it on your shoulder? 

4. Kettle Pizza Grill Kit ($150): Already have a classic Weber charcoal grill and a love for brick oven pizza? This pizza kit doesn't include bricks, but it does turn any 22 1/2 inch charcoal grill into a fully functional pizza oven. Molto delicioso! 

5. BBQ Bruce Handrail Grill ($77): Have a tiny balcony, fire escape, or window you call your yard? Then you'll definitely want to snag this ridiculously handy handrail grill!

6. Grill Dome ($800): This ceramic grill can grill, smoke, roast, and bake just about anything. Featuring the thickest ceramic walls of any ceramic grill on the market, this hefty sucker is big enough to roast a 30lb turkey but is also totally handy for small jobs. Once you cook a big fat brick chicken in the dome, you may toss your oven to the wind. 

7. SmokinTex Smoker ($600): You don't have to fly to Texas to get yourself some authentic smokey barbecue. With this sizable electric smoker, you can slow-cook beef, pork and poultry to perfection in the comfort of your own yard. All you need is wood chips and an outlet!

8. Konro Charcoal BBQ Grill ($123): Don't have a backyard for grillin'? Or want a dose of smokiness in the winter months? This small Japanese ceramic grill sits sweetly in the middle of your dinner table, and can cook up skewers of yakitori, grilled fruit, and, of course, is perfect for s'mores!

9. Cobb Premier Portable Grill ($150): This super efficient bit of grilling innovation is made of stainless steel, takes just a handful of charcoal, and comes with a handy carrying bag for all your outdoor adventures. Best of all, the unique design allows fats and greases to drain without dripping onto the charcoal, creating a virtually smoke-free grill.  

10. Grill / Fondue Pot ($35): What's one surefire way to take your grill to the next level? Add a built-in fondue pot! Get your bread toasty and your veggies roasty before cheesing it up. 

11. Fyrkat BBQ Cone Charcoal Grill ($260): Another colorful Fyrkat from Bodum, this conical grill with stainless steel spit is stylish and ideal for roasting veggies, kebabs, or even an itty bitty cornish game hen. 

12. The Art of Barbecue Grill 300 ($3,240): And finally, a super designy take on the 'cue. This sleek number is designed with a minimalist aesthetic and would look right at home in the backyard of Apple HQ. 

What are your favorite barbecue recipes? Got a sweet portable or super modern grill we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. Happy Summer!

The latest hot (yes, hot) ticket is the Playa Case, a sleek iPhone protector that boasts a discrete storage compartment for condoms. Described as "super thin (we're talking about the case)," this is the ultimate iPhone accessory for bros, ballers, and playas alike. 

In the charming video below, check out how one dashing young Australian has found that this handy phone cover puts the fun in functional.

While the video is certainly cheeky (anyone else find the mailbox scene to be a wee bit suggestive?), the concept is both simple & effective. Why risk your phone - and your health - when a clever product can help save both? Double protection, indeed.

Brought to you by the same folks who served up the Opena (beer bottle opener) Case, the Playa Case is not yet available for sale. Click here to sign up to be notified as soon as the Playa is officially available.

What do you think of the Playa Case? Totally awesome or totally ridiculous? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Now, the company is cranking up the volume by introducing the Jambox's new sibling, Big Jambox. (Creative naming, huh?) The Big Jambox, while not as small and portable as it's younger brother, boasts several more powerful features including an even crazier amount of volume (this thing can power the music in several rooms of a house at once!), a built-in battery that lasts up to 15 hours for continuous playback or 500 hours on standby, as well as the ability to pair two devices at once, allowing you and a friend to both control the tunes. We've been lucky enough to play with this gadget for a couple months now and rely on it to power us through the workday at Brit HQ. (Brit Tip: You can even use it as an enhanced speaker phone for all of your conference calls! We love this feature.)

The one big bummer about Big Jambox? It's not too easy to carry around. Sure, you could spend $50 on the carrying case, but even that doesn't allow you to enjoy a hands-free experience where you can "jam" on the go.

That's why we've come up with our very own Big Jambox hack. Hey, we hacked the Jawbone UP, we had to hack the Jambox, too! Our primary goal was to create a simple DIY concept that would enable us to carry our speaker around with music playing, while enjoying the sound hands-free. As a bonus, we decided to add pockets to hold a cell phone and charger, two very necessary accessories.

All you need for this hack? An old canvas tote bag and some good old fashioned Velcro! Here's the step-by-step:

First, find an old canvas tote and cut out two 4"x7" rectangles. Don't have a canvas tote? You can use any type of sturdy fabric you have lying around.

Next, stitch up your rectangles into pockets by sewing around the edges, fabric folded inside out. We used a machine, but this is definitely small enough to be hand sewable, too.

Okay, that's the end of the hard stuff. From here on out, it's all about the Velcro!

Find two pieces of industrial strength Velcro and adhere one piece to each end of your Big Jambox. Trim as needed. The strength of the Velcro is important here because this is the primary way your shoulder strap will stay connected to your speaker.

Next, use two all-purpose straps and connect them together, forming a circular loop. This will be your shoulder strap.

Place the shoulder strap around the bottom of your Big Jambox and adhere the Velcro pieces together. Wa-lah! There's your carrying strap! That probably took you about 3 minutes total, huh? I told you it was easy!

Now, to add your pockets…

Grab a couple of strips of Velcro Fabric Fusion and an iron. You'll first want to iron one half of the velcro to each side of your shoulder strap where the strap overlaps with the speaker. The other half of each Velcro piece should be ironed onto the backside of your pockets. Note that the fabric should cool completely before proceeding.

Once your fabric has cooled, go ahead and attach your pockets. We added a couple more pieces of Velcro to the outer top edge of each pocket back to ensure the pocket stayed adhered to the Jambox.

You're all done! How easy was that? Now, just fill up your pockets with whatever gear you want -- an iPhone, lip gloss, keys, cords, etc -- then turn on your Big Jambox and head out on the town for your hands-free, wireless music experience. We can't wait to take ours to the beach!

Let us know what you think in the comments below, or find us on Twitter. The Big Jambox goes on sale on May 15th for $299 -- you can pre-order yours here.

PS: Please disregard our messy chalkboard. We have been doing a lot of Weduary feature planning lately!

A new service called Spinlister is a marketplace that lets you find the best bikes to rent from individuals or existing rental shops. We're not only stoked on this concept because it's National Bike Month, but we also love it because it promotes exercise, green living, easier commuting, and potentially even a bit of cost savings.

To use the service as a renter, all you have to do is search for the city you want to rent in, and select the bike you like. You can also determine which bike is closest to you, as the site does require you pick up the two-wheeled vehicle from the owner. (Note: while Spinlister currently has many of the major cities covered, it's still beefing up its inventory in medium to small cities.)

If you're a bike owner looking to make some extra dough, you can put your bike up for rent. All you have to do is snap a few pics and add details on your ride. Then, watch the rental requests (read: cash money) come on in.

We're excited to try Spinlister here in San Francisco and will be reporting back via our Twitter or Facebook feeds. Leave us a note if you try it, too -- we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Still haven't picked something out for Mom? Amazon's got you covered with bunches upon bunches of last-minute items that can arrive in time. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Big Brim Hat ($40): Warm weather is on the horizon and this hat is perfect for keeping mom stylish and safe from the sun at the beach, in the backyard, or at the pool. 
2. Kai Perfume Oil ($36): Kai is a light blend of essential oils that smells great on everyone. It's also a perfect thing for to keep in a purse for freshening up on the go. 
3. Crosley Spinerette ($121): Mom can connect this USB turntable to her computer and transfer all of her favorite vinyl albums to digital. Joni Mitchell anyone? 
4. Grow Your Own Flower Kit ($21): Make mom feel cherished with flowers that will last her all summer. A great alternative to overnighting pricey fresh flowers that only last a few days. 
5. NARS Lipstick ($24): Pick her out a bright color of lipstick that she'd never buy for herself. Even better buy yourself one to match. 
6. Light In The Attic ($16): Gift her a book that she used to read to you. It will remind her of all her memories of you as a little one. 
7. Corkcicle Wine Chiller ($20): With this, Mom can relax with a cold glass of wine at a moment's notice. Bonus, pair it with the big brim hat and a blanket and take her on a picnic. 

8. TCM Classic Film Collection ($15): Turner Classic Movies has put together a variety of themed box sets of the very best movies from times past. So whether your mom loves best picture winners, Hitchcock, or musicals you're covered. 

9. Joanne Sandals ($35): Give her a style upgrade with a new pair of sandals that are on trend and super comfy. 

10. Kindle ($79): Whether she's tech savvy or not, the Kindle is easy to use and just plain awesome. Load it up with some of your favorites for an extra special touch. 

Courtney Lewis is a partner at Hard Candy Shell, an agency that has helped companies like Rent the Runway, Jetsetter, and Of a Kind build enticing digital presences. She writes a blog called Heart Explosion, collects remarkable Amazon and Etsy finds on Tydepool, and is one of the creative cuteness connoisseurs behind Cute Roulette. (Top image source: Marimekko)

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup whipped cream vodka (we recommend Pinnacle)
- Twizzlers Pull 'n' Peel (you know we love it)

Pour water and coconut milk in a small saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak in for a minute or two. Add sugar and heat until gelatin and sugar have dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, and pour in vodka. Spoon 3 tablespoons into each hole of a muffin pan or use a silicone pan so they "pop" out easier. The mixture will look a little cloudy initially, but it will turn more solid white once it firms up in the fridge. Allow to set several hours or overnight.

Gently remove your "baseballs" and arrange on a platter. Now it's time to create the stitching! Cut curved slits on each side to mimic the stitching lines. Separate your Pull 'n' Peel Twizzlers into individual ropes, and cut into small pieces. Right before serving, press licorice into the slits and serve!

What are your favorite tailgate treats? Got your own ingenious way to serve up a jello shot? Leave us a note in the comments below or send gameday recipes our way on Twitter.

Jaymee Sire is an Emmy-award winning sports reporter and anchor at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in San Francisco. During baseball season, she covers the San Francisco Giants for CSN, and often anchors the network's flagship show, SportsNet Central in the offseason. When she isn't covering a sporting event, her true passion is food...whether it's eating out or cooking at home. She writes a blog called E is for Eat, posting alphabet-themed recipes and restaurant reviews several times per week. She also contributes a weekly tailgate blog on csnbayarea.com called Authentic Eats. Be sure to follow Jaymee on Twitter and E is for Eat on Facebook.

Luckily, registries aren't just for toaster ovens, new linens, and bread makers anymore. We've rounded up 15 ways for your guests to give you just what you want, from charitable donations to the roof over your head, time to get your registry on. 

For the Do-Gooders

1. I Do Foundation: This option makes it easy for you to give back by offering multiple ways for your guests to make charitable contributions. Create a registry where all the gifts are charitable contributions, or make a more traditional one through I Do Foundation partner stores and 5% of all purchases will benefit the charity of your choice.

2. Heifer International: You've likely heard of Heifer before, an organization that works to end poverty and hunger by encouraging gifts of animals that will provide children and families around the world a sense of hope and self-reliance. If charitable contributions won't do the trick, give them the option of gifting an animal to a family in need.

Keep It Green

3. Green Bride Guide: This one is the wedding planning queen of all things green. Not only can you learn how to throw a super eco-chic wedding, but you can create a green registry as well. Every product available through Green Bride's registry service is well-researched and tagged with its country of origin, eco-certifications, and eco-strategy so you can quickly assess its social and environmental benefits. We'll let Kermit know this site makes it easy being green.

Foodies and Winos Rejoice

4. Italian Wine Merchants: Ready to get a little bit fancy? Register for Mario Batali's co-owned Italian Wine Merchants. And if the thought of curating a collection overwhelms you, opt for a personal sommelier at no extra charge. And feel free to crack open a bottle or two on your big day! :)

5. Foodie Registry: Would you and your beau prefer an incredible meal out over mastering your new food processor? Then Foodie Registry is for you. Started by a couple of Chicago foodies, this site allows you to register for gift certificates to restaurants. Sounds like a great idea to us! Nom nom nom!

For the Couple with Wanderlust

6. REI: Marriage really is the ultimate adventure, but maybe you and your darlin' love the more traditional outdoor kind too.  If you're a nature and activity junkie, use REI's registry to stock up on gear to make future memories together.  

7. Wanderable: Got the travel bug? This site encourages not only engaged couples but everyone to create bucket lists of experiences on the site to share with friends. Engaged couples can turn these lists into sweet honeymoon registries so guests can contribute to what could be the most special trip of your lives.  

8. Traveler's Joy: Similar to Wanderable, Traveler's Joy is a slightly more traditional non-traditional registry. It's specifically designed with the honeymooner in mind, and lets guests contribute towards part or all of your trip.

9. Honeyfund: What started as a honeymoon funding site has expanded into a way for the newly engaged to not only register for travel funds but also anything your heart desires. It's basically a classier way to collect cash for the items you really want. 

Get All Your Gifts in One Place

10. Newlywish: Newlywish is a one-stop registry shop that helps you register for gifts as well as experiences such as spa treatments, cooking classes, dancing lessons, interior design/organization, and events. Similar to Weduary, this site was the brainchild of an engaged couple who found existing registry services to be lacking in terms of features and options.

11. Wedding Registry by iList Apps: This little app could change registries in a big way. Rather than registering at multiple stores around town, the app lets you create one registry, saving your guests time when trying to find the perfect gift. The app includes a barcode scanner so you can add items from any store you visit to your registry, and also lets you add gifts from stores you love online. Oh, how we love technology that make our lives more simple.

12. Weduary: While not specifically a registry site, our very own Weduary will help you manage your registries in one place. Use the Traditional Registry feature to list stores where you've registered; use the Donation Registry to tell your guests about the cause you've chosen; or create a Custom Registry by listing individual items.

Beyond Categorization

13. Hatch My House: While many newly engaged and newlywed couples can afford a mortgage, saving up for that down payment isn't easy. Plus, many couples these days are waiting longer to get married and have already accumulated many of the gifts most young couples register for. Hatch My House is a tasteful site that allows your guests to contribute to your home sweet home fund.  

14. Antiquaria: Have your china collection reflect your personal style.The Austin-based design team of Bailey Amon and Emma James will help you create a unique and vintage china collection for your registry. These two ladies will work to coordinate a gorgeous china set and also other items that fit your lifestyle. 

15. Etsy: We wrote about this in last week's wedding-focused Tech of the Week, but have to mention it here as well. Being fans of all things DIY and hand-crafted, we were jazzed to hear Etsy had created a registry service. This is a fantastic way to register for just about everything handmade or vintage you can dream of.

What non-traditional registries have you found or dreamed up? Let us know in the comments below or send registry sites our way on Twitter. 

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

Brit is stocked with many fun and funky ways to pump up a party, from these LED centerpieces to this collection of party planning tools. But before you dive into the details, consider the essential, signature part of any party: balloons.

Timeless and appropriate at any age, balloons are a must-have for any celebration. But as a tech geek and lover of anything with an on/off button, I couldn't help myself when I realized that LED lights paired with balloons would result in instant glowing lanterns.

Materials:
- LED lights (DIY or repurpose a dollar store keychain)
- Balloons

Step 1: Gather your LEDs

This part can be as simple or complicated as you desire. One option is to craft your own LED lights, while the other is to purchase them powered and ready to go. 

If you choose to get geeky and craft your own LEDs, you'll need the following:
- 5-10 small LEDs (available online or at Radio Shack)
- 5-10 3-volt batteries
- Tape

To assemble the LEDs, place the "legs" of an LED on either side of a battery. It should light up right away. If it doesn't, flip the battery around. On the day of the party, tape the LED to the battery to secure it in place. Repeat this process until all your LEDs are lit.

If you choose to purchase powered LEDs, head to your local Dollar Store or party supply store and hunt for LED accessories. I was able to find LED keychains that pulse a variety of colors when powered.

Step 2: Assemble the balloons

If you plan to blow your balloons up with helium, grab your LEDs and head to the party store. Before you fill a balloon with helium, turn on an LED light and insert it into the balloon. 

Once they're tied and attached to some string, scatter the balloons around the party and watch as your glowing balloons light up the scene. 

The life of any given LED will vary, but expect your LED balloons to last at least 24-48 hours.

If your LEDs are still glowing by the time your party ends, pop the balloons, remove the LEDs, turn them off, and save them for your next celebration.

How do you add a dose of geekery to your party decor? Send ideas our way by leaving a note in the comments below or by sending pics to us on Twitter or Facebook. We'll post the best of the best on our blog.

As CNET's resident How To expert, Sharon Vaknin covers technology tutorials and guides. With her geek knowledge and a knack for layman's terms, she shows the tech-savvy and tech-phobic how to make the most of their personal gadgets. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook for more techie tutorials. 

At Brit & Co., we're always scheming to figure out different ways to creatively use our various touchscreen products. Whether we're creating simple DIY touchscreen gloves that allow you to use your smartphone in the cold winter months, or hacking together a DIY stylus ideal for mastering the craft of DrawSomething, the hunt for the next best iThing is constantly on our minds.

That's why when we found out about the Nomad Brush we fell instantly in love. The idea of being able to create gestural strokes on an iPad, just as you would on a canvas, is something we've been dreaming about. 

Even if you don't consider yourself "artsy," the Nomad Brush seems like a great way to play and get in touch with more analog formats of communication… on your iPad. Seems like kind of an oxymoron, we know. 

Made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, the soft bristles on the Nomad are a breeze to use on the iPad's responsive screen. Use apps like Paper to choose the style of stroke you're looking for, and inform that stroke further by painting lightly to achieve feathery lines, or pressing hard to lay it on thick, just as you would with a real paintbrush. 

While we're swooning hard over the iPad brush ($39), Nomad also has a couple more petite brushes with your smartphone in mind.

The Nomad Mini ($20) really is just a mini version of the iPad brush, and is great even just for navigation. 

The Nomad Play ($18) is designed with kids in mind, and like all of the brushes, works on any touchscreen device. And you can rest assured that even when your child is painting his or her little heart out on your iPad, nothing will get scratched and nothing will get messy!

What do you think of this tech-meets-art innovation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

You love hosting. You're on top of getting those Pretzel Pops, Mac and Cheese Muffins, and Mini Deep Dish Pizzas piping hot and ready for consumption. You even had a couple Candy Cocktails before your guests arrived. But what did you forget? Your tablescape! Not officially a word but one that gets tossed around here on a more-than-daily basis, the way your set your table is what really brings a dinner party together. Lucky for you, we've rounded up 12 practical & pretty placemats that'll surely kick that tablescape up to 11. 

1. Paint Chip Placemat ($18): Paint chips as placemats? We love it! These little darlings display paint colors in English and French, and are perfect for the Francophile, color lover, and designer alike.

2. Perforated Roll of Cotton Placemats + Napkins ($28): Throwing a party and not quite sure how many placemats and napkins you're gonna need? Grab this roll and improvise. The material itself can be laundered at least 6 times, and is biodegradable. 

3. Retro Cafe Placemats ($20): Fancy your kitchen a French cafe from the 50s? Then you'll definitely want to stock your home with a pad of these paper placemats. We love the idea of using these for a big event, and maybe coming up with complementary tablecloths. 

4. Record Placemats - Set of 2 ($14): Music lovers, worry not. These are simply silicone likenesses of records, and are even dishwasher-friendly. "And when you serve fish, make sure to crank the bass." WOW.

5. Pressed Dahlia Placemats - Set of 2 ($20): It's officially May Flowers season! Add a little floral-meets-design whimsy to your table with these gorgeous cut-outs. 

6. Chalkboard Placemat ($16): One of the best things about going to restaurants as a kid is getting handed a paper placemat and a pack of crayons. Bring that joy home with this sweet chalkboard placemat. And, if you want to make your dinner party feel a little fancier, write the menu on everyone's placemat before they arrive. Each pack includes one placemat, four pieces of chalk and an eraser.

7. Round Wooden Placemats - Set of 2 ($26): Farm to table, for real. We love these wooden slabs for placemats, hors d'oeuvres trays, etc. 

8. Popmat Paper Placemats ($26): Inspired by children's pop-up books, these whimsical paper placemats truly add another dimension to your table. Great for a birthday party, bridal shower, or rehearsal dinner, there's room to write names, table numbers, whatever you like. 

9. Double Sided Frosty Dew Placemat ($45): This gorgeous textile placemat is made to order by the skilled makers at Satsku Shibuya. Each placemat is reversible and printed with soy & water-based inks.

10. Tasty Placemats - Set of 4 ($54): Do you like it salty, sour, spicy or sweet? We love all four! And we love the typography on these playful mats. 

11. Vinyl Lace Placemats ($2): Similar to the dahlias but made out of vinyl, these lace placemats are great for a night of romantic dining. Bonus points for doubling as awesome sun print stencils and photo backdrops. 

12. Cheat Sheet Placemat - Set of 2 ($26): Keep everything properly in place with a pair of cheat sheet placemats. Mimicking blueprints with the utmost of manners, these would make even your stuffy etiquette teacher (you had one, right?) proud. 

How do you bring a little more color to the dinner table? Send your tablescape ideas our way by leaving a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. Happy Hosting!

Apps for Planning the Perfect Flight:

TripIt: Tired of saving all your electronic tickets in your priority inbox? Lost that confirmation number and need to change your flight, yet again? Forward all itineraries to TripIt and keep track of all of those pesky details. Info is pushed to your mobile device via the app, and it will even let you know if you've got friends traveling to the same places at the same times! TripIt also allows you to seamlessly integrate your calendar and provides directions (driving, walking, public transportation) to any place you’d like to go.

Kayak: Kayak.com seems to have trumped it's predecessors and competitors (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia) in terms of being the go-to flight search site, but Kayak’s iPhone app is what sets them apart. The app makes it ridiculously easy to search for flights as well as looking for hotels by location on a map that reflects your location. In some ways, the app is almost better than the website in that the info is more simply delivered. Oh, and we love that Kayak serves up “Hacker Fares” involving more than one airline if the price is right. :)  

SeatGuru: If you care about legroom, proximity to the bathroom (or lack thereof), and anything else that pertains to your seat, you're gonna wanna fire SeatGuru up whenever you book air travel. And if you’re already booked and heading to the airport, check your seats on the app and make last minute changes if you’re not in a spot that pleases you. 

HipMunk: We like to think of HipMunk as the best looking travel spreadsheet we've ever seen. Once you search it allows you to search by price, duration, departure time, arrival time, and agony (a combination of price, duration, and number of stops). You can open several tabs at once if you're looking at a few different routes, and it illustrates the flights based on leg length, including layovers. And if a train will help your travel go more smoothly, they'll throw that info in as well.

FlightBoard: Ideal for the travel junkie, FlightBoard turns your iPhone or Android into a Departures Board for any airport in the world. This is super handy if you're looking to catch an earlier flight en route to the airport, or if you're looking for a last minute weekend away. Admittedly, we like this app for it's design aesthetic and vintage travel feel. Warning: Strong feelings of Wanderlust are inevitable.

Apps for Finding Your Ideal Home Away from Home: 

Airbnb: We LOVE Airbnb. It has made traveling anywhere and everywhere more convenient, more affordable, and more personal. Gone are the days when we crave late night room service (ok, those days aren't quite gone…) and here are the days when we want to be able to cook and feel like we're right at home, even on vacation. The app makes those 30 minutes spent commuting perfect for planning your dream vacation.   

HotelTonight: Last minute planner much? HotelTonight is your new best friend. As you can probably guess from the name, HotelTonight is an app that finds you a room tonight! It’s only good for same day bookings, typically after noon. Though last minute planning can be stressful, the great part about this app is that hotel rates are often deeply discounted. Score!

Trip Advisor: TripAdvisor is an old favorite, and with good reason. This is the ideal website or app to turn to for pretty reliable customer reviews as well as really great insights from fellow travelers. It has just about every hotel around, allows you to search by address as well as proximity to current location, and the app has access to all the photos and reviews available on the site. 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Looking for a hideaway off the beaten track? A designy boutique hotel in any given city’s boho district? Then you best check out Mr. and Mrs. Smith. You can search for hotels, villas, apartments and more. From budget boutique hotels to honeymoon hotspots to secluded private island accommodations, this site’s got you covered. 

Inspirato: Ready to take it to the next level? Inspirato is Airbnb times about a million. It’s a private club that offers its members heavily discounted access to an exclusive portfolio of multi-million dollar residences, fully controlled by the club. Not only do properties boast luxurious furnishings but personalized service, and access to incredible sites no matter what the location. 

What apps do you use for planning business trips, summer vacations, and weekend getaways? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Bonus nostalgia points for replacing the traditional bread crumb topping with some of your favorite cereals and snacks from childhood. We went with Rice Chex, Corn Flakes, Sun Chips and pretzels.

Ingredients (yields 12 muffins)
- 4 cups cooked rigatoni, macaroni, fusili
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk (reduced fat, skim, whole)
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups gruyere + 1/4 cup reserved
- 3/4 cups sharp cheddar
- 1 cup "bread crumbs"

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, get those noodles cooked and set aside. We used rotini.

While the noodles boil, get everything you need for the cheese sauce ready. Grate your cheese, measure out the milk, flour and butter. Crack the eggs and separate the whites.

To create the cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour slowly, making sure the consistency stays uniform. Add the milk, and bring to just under a boil.

Now it's time to start adding cheese. Add slowly and keep stirring. Reduce heat if it starts thickening up too quickly. You want it to be around the same consistency as a traditional alfredo sauce. 

Once all the cheese has been added, remove from heat. Add in the egg whites and whisk together.

Add the cheese egg white sauce to the pasta and mix together evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want to throw greens into the mix, we recommend broccoli, asparagus, or spinach.

Spoon the macaroni mix into a muffin pan.

Now, time to top those muffins!

For the cereal and chips, you can crush with your hands on a cutting board. For the pretzel rods, you'll need to use a ziploc bag + hammer. For each topping, you'll need about 1/4 cup for three muffins.

We topped three with Rice Chex, three with Corn Flakes, three with Sun Chips, and three with crushed up pretzels.

Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of gruyere and a sprinkle of parmesan if you have it on hand. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tops have browned a little bit. 

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, so the muffins can bond together.

Serve for brunch, lunch, dinner, or for a tasty midnight snack!

We'd love to try making a batch of these topped with tortilla chips, rice krispies, and other bits of crunchy goodness.

What are your go-to Mother's Day recipes? Got any hacks on classic Mac and Cheese we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below, or send recipe ideas our way on Twitter or Facebook. And if you give them a try, share your pics and we'll post the best ones on our blog!

Now, thanks to Ruggable's ingenious 2-piece rug system, you can not only wash your rug easily but you can affordably change it out for other patterns whenever you change decor.

A cushioned non-slip rug pad acts as as solid base to a variety of stylish covers. The covers firmly attach to the rug bad but are easy to remove, machine washable, and interchangeable.

The rug pad itself is water-resistant, making it easy to wipe-off, and the non-slip action means you don't need an additional rug pad underneath. 

Ruggable covers range from $30 to $125 based on size, and rug pads range from $15 to $75. Totally affordable, and so easy to change up!

Choose from a handful of sizes, patterns, textures and colors. From a powder white sixties shag to modern geometric pattern, even with just a few options you're sure to find a rug that suits your home. More sizes and patterns coming soon!

Know of any other ingenious necessities for the home? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

How often have you tried to stuff your ID, keys, cash, and phone in your bra? When you go to a cocktail party, are you the awkward gal who's holding her phone along with her drink? We've shown you the Click Bag, the Pocket Scarf, and the Iron-On Pocket, each of which does the job for certain situations, but what about the dance floor? Sometimes that mini purse just doesn't allow for the moves you're dying to bust out. 

Enter the JoeyBra, the first sexy and comfortable pocketed bra.

Created by two students at the University of Washington (and currently looking for pledges over on Kickstarter), the JoeyBra has been designed "specifically with the party girl in mind". After doing a survey of over 200 women, they found that 95% had a problem finding a place to put their belongings while out, and 73% had lost personal items from a lack of pocket. We've all been there, scratching our heads saying "I thought I put it in so-and-so's purse or jacket…" 

It works with pretty much any outfit, and can be worn as a regular bra, strapless, or crisscrossed in the back. 

And this bra is good for the guys as well. If you're a dude who's ever been to a wedding, dance party, or happy hour with a girlfriend, girl friend, wife, or sister, you've probably carried her phone, wallet and keys in your pocket. Whenever she wants to take a picture, you need to be available. When she needs a drink, she ends up asking you to get it because you've got her cash anyway (and, of course, because this is also the chivalrous thing to do). But, don't you want the ladies in your life to feel liberated?

Plus, it looks good. It's not some half vest half bra hybrid that makes you feel like you're on a safari. It's lacy, leopard-tastic, and even has a little extra oomph by way of a lightly padded push-up. So far, it's being offered in Small (32A, 32B, 34A), Medium (32C, 34B), and Large (32D, 34C, 36B) but they're planning to offer even more sizes once their Kickstarter funding comes through. With 12 days to go on Kickstarter, the JoeyBra is already at double their goal. If you pledge $30 or more, you get your very own JoeyBra sometime this summer. Or, go directly to the JoeyBra website and pre-order one for $20. All in all, a ridiculously good deal! 

What do you think of the JoeyBra? Got any other tricks for keeping your belongings on you when you need to go purse-less? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Plus, not only is May National Bike Month but it's National Asparagus Month and National Salad Month too! Asparagus, biking, Derby, Cinco de Mayo, and Mother's Day? This month pretty much rocks.

1. Escarole, Endive, Radicchio & Shaved Asparagus Salad: We'll kick this roundup off with a bit of deliciousness from Brit contributor Jaymee Sire. This gorgeous plate of greenery is roughage-rich salad, topped with shaved asparagus. (Recipe and photo: E is for Eat)

2. Asparagus with Sweet Onions, Garbanzo Beans, and Mint: This makes a perfect side for any time of year. Try mixing things up by using manchego, black beans and cilantro, parmesan, kidney beans, and basil, etc. (Recipe and photo: CHOW)

3. Shaved Asparagus Quinoa Salad: This is a great dish to make with leftover quinoa, brown rice, or any kind of nicely textured grain. (Recipe and photo: Cookie + Kate) 

4. Toasted Sesame & Almond Asparagus Salad: The toasted sesame seeds and almonds are what elevate this salad to a sort of smokey, hearty place. if you end up with salad to spare, throw leftovers on a piece of flatbread for a lovely lunch. (Recipe and photo: Love & Lemons) 

5. Raw Asparagus and Mushroom Salad with Walnuts & Miso: Earthy enough to make a whole meal, this is another one where the leftovers could easily be repurposed into a flatbread, pasta, or sandwich. (Recipe and photo: Gourmande in the Kitchen) 

6. Weaved Asparagus Salad: It's true. Asparagus and parmesan are basically besties. This fun preparation is a great way to serve a simple and scrumptious salad. (Recipe and photo: Food Mayhem)

7. Warm and Smokey Asparagus Bacon Salad: What goes better with asparagus than parmesan? Bacon, of course. (Recipe and photo: The Hungry Mouse) 

8. Spring Asparagus Salad with Creamy Raw Milk & Goat Cheese: What has us swooning over this little number is the super creamy dressing and crunchy radishes. (Recipe and photo: Local Milk) 

9. Shrimp, Radish and Asparagus Salad: Grassy asparagus paired with meaty sautéed shrimps take this salad to the main course level. And we love just about anything that incorporates sugar snap peas and Thai basil. (Recipe and photo: The Gouda Life) 

10. Aphrodisiac Greens on Toast:  Part of our Valentine's brunch, this throws a salad and an egg right on a piece of toast. We topped the toast with basil walnut pesto, avocado, and gruyere. (Recipe and photo: Brit)

11. Asparagus Caesar Salad: Nori takes the place of salty anchovies in this vegan Caesar. We love the idea of cutting the asparagus even more thinly so it turns into a cold asparagus pasta. (Recipe and photo: Edible Perspective) 

12. Orzo Super Salad: After seeing The Avengers this weekend, we've got super heroes on the mind. And super foods… ;) (Recipe and photo: 101 Cookbooks) 

What are your favorite asparagus recipes? Leave us a note in the comments below or send recipes our way on Twitter. 

Richard Branson Ice Cubes: We’ll kick it off with the most ridiculous ice cubes we’ve ever seen (er, read about). According to this article on Shortlist, folks who are fortunate to travel in the new Upper Class Cabin will also have the pleasure of cocktails donned with Branson’s icy likeness. Hmmm.  

Infinite Note Taker: It’s not quite infinite, but we’ll take it! We love this miniature version of a deli-style roll of paper. Could also be really fun for creating a super long drawing. 

Dog Names for Graphic Designers: You may have seen this on our blog, but it really is one of our favorite things this week. Aside from Pixel (obvs!), our faves are definitely Pica, Dingbat, and Vector. 

A Purse That Charges Your Phone: Revealed earlier this year at London Fashion Week, this Richard Nicoll x Vodafone purse is about to revolutionize our dependence on finding that lone free plug at Starbucks. You charge the back at home via a traditional outlet. Once fully charged, the bag can reportedly charge handsets and tablets alike for at least two days. There’s even an LED light on the bag’s Bluetooth-enabled charm that flashes to indicate mobile activity. Amazing! 

MacBook Pro Perfume: And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Well... this isn’t real just yet. It’s currently being developed as part of a gallery exhibition in Melbourne called “De facto Standard.” The fragrance itself, conceived by Air Aroma with a team of artists known as Greatest hits, mimics the scent of “an Apple product being opened for the first time.” It’s not available for sale, and probably won’t be. But you can try to catch a whiff if you’re down to frequent the Australian art circuit. 
Heat Changing Love Mug: From perfumery to your morning cup of joe, this sweet pixelated heart mug changes color as it heats up. And yes, it makes us feel all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. ;) 

Frozen Beer Foam: Leave it to Japan to come up with crazy beer innovations that you have to see to understand. Since beer is best served cold, they’ve developed frozen beer foam to ensure no beer goes warm! It is dispensed out of a frozen yogurt-like machine and is created by blowing air into beer as it is stirred and chilled to a frosty -5 degrees Celsius. Brrr! 

Electronic-Focusing Eyewear: You know when you’re using a manual focus camera and you just can’t get the focus quite right? You keep turning knobs and then... finally, there it is. A clear picture. Well, PixelOptics has employed the same idea to eyewear. It doesn’t use the same technology, but it does involve turning a dial on the side of your glasses to focus in on what’s around you. PixelOptics has labeled it emPower and describes how “a touch of the temple or tilt of the head activates a layer of liquid crystals in each lens, instantly creating a near focus zone.” Whoa.

Repurposed Plunger Lamp: We really really love when super functional things become super beautiful pieces of design. In this case, designer Chuck Routhier has taken a rubber plunger (“never used, of course”), attached it to an industrial ceramic fixture and topped the whole thing off with a chrome-topped bulb. This little darling can be used as a desk lap or a hanging sconce. Love it!

Miniature Furniture Waffle Iron: It’s mini so there’s one point there. It involves waffles, so that’s ten more points. And it somehow manages to involve interior design? A million points! 

Bonus Video: Check out the Frozen Beer Foam in action... to the tune of New York, New York of course. 

Happy Friday! And if you've got tidbits of online awesomeness we should see, leave us a note in the comments below.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- lime zest from 1 lime
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- lime zest from 2 limes
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp tequila (optional)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup agave nectar (can substitute honey)
- 1/3 cup whipping cream
- 5 eggs
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt (we recommend Maldon brand)

When assembling your ingredients, feel free to taste the tequila just to make sure it's still good. ;)

To make crust:  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.  Add sugar and salt, mixing until well combined.  

Add flour and zest.

Mix on low until dough starts to come together but is crumbly.  

Press crust into a 9-inch shallow pie pan.  Set aside.

To make filling:  Melt butter in microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until melted.  Whisk in remaining ingredients.  Pour into prepared crust.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until firm but still slightly jiggly.  If edges start to brown during baking, loosely cover with foil.  Allow to cool completely on the counter or in the refrigerator.  Liberally sprinkle with sea salt right before serving.

Now go get ready for your fiesta! Olé! And, of course, we think this darling pie would go just swimmingly with our Cinco de Mayo Jello Shots and Cinco de Derby menu. ;)

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

If you've been with us for the last few months, then you know that we've loved DODOcase since they first started back in 2010. The company uses book binding techniques to craft quality, handmade iPad & Kindle cases that are designed and manufactured right here in San Francisco. So, rather than toting around your tablet in a boring old black case, you can treat your iPad to your digital-meets-analog sensibility. And yes, it folds just like the techy iPad cases. :)

For today's giveaway, choose from the classic DODOcase, DODOcase Essentials, or a case from the DODOcase Spring / Summer 2012 Collection. The newest two collections were inspired by the California landscape and coastline, and are perfect for a warm weather palette. 

Once you've chosen your case, personalize it with foil stamp lettering in either black or gold, in three distinct locations.

With so many fun new ways to personalize, it's easy to show your mom just how much you care.

And, if you're buying (or trying to win this) for someone with a newer iPad, you can easily add the camera hole option. 

Now, how do you win?

To enter, leave a comment below telling us why your mom rocks! It's that simple. 

- Contest entries must be received by Monday, May 7th.
- We will select and announce a winner on Tuesday, May 8th.
- The winner will be selected based on the most creative answer.

For folks who are anxious to buy this ASAP rather than test their luck with the giveaway, the cost breakdown is as follows: Classic Cases are $59.95; Essential Cases are $69.95, and Spring/Summer Cases are $79.95. Each personalization location is $12.95, and the camera hole is an additional is $4.95.

Got any questions about the contest? Tweet them our way or send a note to hello@hellobrit.com. Happy DODO-ing!

**Update: Congratulations to John Alvarez! We loved his rhyming answer on why is mom rocks:

My mom sure does rock; rocks out like Rolling Stones. 
Oh stuck with me through all the broken bones.
Then shared troubles and heartaches like best friends often do.
How she was there for me that time when my fingers I glued.
Everyone can appreciate all the things she does for them and me.
Right about now I think all will agree.
She loves me and does so unconditionally.

Really quickly before I’m done.
One person does deserve a custom DODOcase for iPad fun.
Come on she’s awesome I wish you could meet her.
Killer personality, she’s even a Tweeter!

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses - we really loved reading them. Hope your mom enjoys her new DODOcase, John!

May is National Bike Month and, while here in San Francisco it's bike season all year long, we love a month dedicated to celebrating adventures on two wheels. There are hundreds of incredible bicycling doodads out there, from handlebars that turn your high speed road bike into a beach cruiser to full-on bicycle sidecars. But we've found a quartet of whimsical bike accoutrements that are sure to make your ride a little more colorful, beautiful, and, yes, creative.

Bike Planter: Don't you wish your bike felt a little more alive? Or at least felt more in tune with nature? Grab this planter, a sweet little succulent, and instantly add charm, color, and more oxygen to your daily ride. We don't think we're going on a leap when we assume that most bicyclists love a bit of greenery, and this darling number is sure to make your two wheels feel more like home.

And, because it is the future, these planters are created digitally with modeling software, and then 3D printed out of nylon! Each item is hand-dyed and sealed with a UV protective varnish. It attaches to your bike with an elastic nylon cord that should fit snugly on most tube sizes. 

Chalktrail: Described as miles of creative, colorful fun, this bicycle (or scooter) attachment quite literally adds a splash (or trail) of color to your ride. It attaches to the bottom of your back wheel and holds a piece of sidewalk chalk, allowing you to draw sweet designs, leave a trail for friends, and even dabble in a little bicycle street art. The product is marketed for kids, but we're betting bike messengers and hipsters from Brooklyn to Oakland will eat this puppy right up, or try to make it themselves.

This gadget lends itself to our love of all things analog. We're kind of surprised this didn't exist when we were kids, or at least in the late 90s when razor scooters were all the rage. Plus, we really love the idea of using sidewalk chalk for large scale designs and drawings. 

SleekSpeak: We've shown you the JammyPack. We've mentioned the Jambox more than once. But how bought a small, nearly weightless speaker that straps right onto your bike? First of all, if you're reading this and thinking my headphones are just fine. We're here to tell you, no they're not! Biking with headphones is dangerous and silly. Enter the SleekSpeak, a flexible way to get huge sound on your bike. 

The speaker's flexible rubber skin and silicone rubber strap lets you slap it anywhere on your bike quickly and easily. The sound, which is high powered at over 80 dB, is claimed to be loud enough to conquer any level of traffic or wind. Employing Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to any compatible device and bike party-ready, the SleekSpeak was specially designed to allow one person to DJ several speakers at once! The SleekSpeak is currently waiting for funding on Kickstarter, so pledge it up! 

GripRings: And finally, a way to totally customize the grips on your handlebars, that doesn't involve sticky tape! If you're a biker, you've probably made the move to kick your grip tape up a notch more than once. And more likely than not, that tape wore away just as quickly as the first round. Now, thanks to GripRings, you can style up your bars in any color combo you like!

We adore customization in any form, and being able to coordinate your handlebars with your bike frame, bike shorts, or helmet is right up our alley.

What new bike accessories have you seen pop up in the last few months? Any old school ways to trick out your bike we should know about? Send links, ideas, and tricks our way by leaving a note in the comments below or saying hi on Twitter. Happy Bike Month!

What we need is a pair of video glasses. You know, the kind James Bond rocks on a daily basis. Even Austin Power has a pair of these bad boys. Now, with new and surprisingly accessible technology by Vergence Labs in Palo Alto, we might be able to make our spy dreams a geek chic reality.

Not only do these glasses have the ability to shoot video and pictures, but they can transform from clear glasses to sunglasses in a matter of milliseconds. Simply turn a dial on the side of the frame and go easily from day to night. 

But, obviously, the most awesome thing about these is the video capability. You can record audio, video, and capture photographs. The glasses have teeny tiny speakers so you can even project audio if you so choose. They are Wifi enabled so they can connect with your smartphone, computer or tablet, allowing you to share instantly with friends and family via social media. And they charge via USB, just like all your other devices! 

Of course, it doesn't end there. These Buddy Holly-esque puppies also track biometrics! Similar to Fuelband or Jawbone UP (but not quite as advanced), they have the potential to track distance traveled, calories burned, etc. Details about what all they'll be able to capture are unclear at the moment, but we're excited to see how this component develops! And because all great things seem to start this way, they're currently looking for funding on Kickstarter. A cool $199 gets you one hot set of video glasses and oodles of geek street cred. 

We'll tell you right now, the video below starts off on the overdramatic side but it definitely gives you a well-rounded sense of how the product will actually work. Plus, you gotta love the two adorably nerdy founders. 

As you can see from video, Vergence is also offering a second product: a full on Computer Visor that immerses your entire viewing space with your computer's display. We're less excited about these, but they have crazy amounts of potential for a new kind of computer behavior.

What do you think of Vergence's Video Glasses? Would you use them? Do you find them useful or just cool for novelty? Let us know your thoughts below or holler at us over on Twitter. 

If you're still busy spring cleaning, we're guessing you've come across a lot of t-shirts that you can't quite get rid of but don't really need. Naturally, it''s time to repurpose! Today we'll show you a ridiculously easy way to turn your t-shirts into eco-friendly reusable tote bags inspired by similar DIY projects found on Leethal and HonestlyWTF. The greatest thing about this project is that it's pretty likely you've got all the materials at home. All you need is an old t-shirt, scissors, and a safety pin. Simple, (almost) free, and super convenient. 

Materials:
- t-shirt
- scissors
- safety pin

Pick out an old t-shirt, grab some scissors, and a large safety pin.

Cut of the sleeve of the t-shirt as if you were making a tank top.

Fold the t-shirt in half lengths-wise and use it as a template to cut the other side.

Cut off the collar in a U-shape, going about 4-6 inches deep.

Make 2 or 3 slits in bottom seam, making sure not to cut through the stitch.

Taking the leftover sleeves, trim a couple strips of fabric about 1 inch wide.

Put the safety pin on the end of the strip and feed the safety pin through the hole in the bottom seam.

Scrunch the fabric together to make a circle. Then tie the ends of the string together, leaving some length of the string for dangly pieces. Repeat until the bottom is tied together.

Voila! Now your fruits and veggies will have a nice cozy home on their journey from the farmer's market this weekend.

If you want to jazz it up a bit, use different colored t-shirt scraps or any kind of jersey knit for the strips of fabric.

You can also use scraps of leftover t-shirts to make shapes to sew onto the outside of your bag (like a white heart with neon string!)

And you are done! Since it is stretchy cotton, it is best used to carry lighter items, such as a fruits and veggies, picnic items, or your blanket to take to the baseball game!

How do you repurpose old t-shirts? Find us on Twitter or Facebook, and share your ideas and project photos! We'll share the best of the best on our blog. 

Caitlin Dunn has been craving sweets since the day she was born. She quickly learned to bake but realized that her true passion is all in the decoration. If not in the kitchen, you will find her crafting her latest project of the week. Living in San Francisco has turned her a little 'green' which has changed her creative focus to making one person's trash another person's treasure. She documents the intersection of baking, crafts, tea, and everyday life on her blog teaspoon.

Fifty Shades of Grey. If you haven’t heard of it, we’re not sure where you’ve been. It’s the latest (read: only) volume of erotic fiction that’s currently sweeping the nation, and it has absolutely nothing to do with color or lack thereof. But, at Brit HQ, when we see something that lends itself to color-based punnery, we simply can’t resist. 

We decided to apply Christian Grey’s color namesake as well as his penchant for goods that are hard edged and modern to the lifestyle categories you see every day on our website. From Earl Grey Macarons to a Gray Studded iPhone case, here are Fifty Shades of Grey... the Brit way. ;) 

Living

1. Steve Jobs Print ($89): How better to kick off a Brit-ified roundup than with one of our heros?

2. Ultra Flat Wall Clock ($32): A different shade of gray for every hour. 

3. Short Drum Pendant Lamp ($149): Modern and manly. 

4. Nailhead Headboard ($449-$799): The title of this headboard says it all.

5. Animal Wine Stoppers ($11): You're not the only animal in this house.

6. Gray World Map ($30): The world is Grey's oyster. 

7. Gray Baker’s Twine ($15): For tying up your odds and ends… and whatever else. 

8. Mid Century Sofa: Can't be a mogul without a dose of mid-century design.

9. Military Style Wool Blankets ($35 for 4): Warm and cozy, but with the roughness of the military. 

10. 5-Drawer Steel Flat File ($832): For sexual contracts and what not.

Tech

11. Gray Rotary Phone: Few items are as classic and Mad Men-esque as an old rotary phone.

12. Pantone iPhone Case ($40): Cool Gray 5 is the quintessential medium gray.

13. Gray Studded iPhone Case ($29): Studly, metallic, and handmade.  

14. Warby Parker Griffin Glasses ($95): Four eyes never looked so good.

15. Swansea Beach Radio ($40): The secret awesomeness of this radio? It's actually an iPod/iPhone dock! 

16. Suede Woven iPad Case ($124): The right mix of soft suede and hard metal… 

17. Bag in Bag ($49): Keep your documents, iPad, and everything you need in a bag... in a bag.

18. Vintage 1970s Smith Corona Typewriter, Two Toned Gray ($68): Grey's top secret documents are better typed the old-fashioned way.  

19. Urbanears Dark Grey Headphones ($54): When you need to tune out all that noise, slap these on.

20. Fuzzy Wuzzy Camera Case ($15): Cover up that incriminating point and shoot with a little fuzzy goodness. 

Food

21. Small Grey Ceiling Pot Rack ($140): Kind of looks like a torture device for pots and pans, no?

22. Razorblade Bottle Opener ($16): Sharp and steely.

23. Ikea Slate Dishes: Nothing like sleek Swedish style to bring an element of modernity to any kitchen.

24. Gray Straws ($8): For ice-cold glasses of lemonade on a hot summer night.

25. Cuisinart SmartStick ($30): Tough enough to puree piping hot soup, you best be careful with this one.

26. Black Sesame Cookies: Dark, sweet, and seedy all at the same time.

27. Staub La Cocette Mini ($54): Sturdy like a dutch oven but mini enough to be inconspicuous.

28. Heath Ceramics Mug: For a cup of coffee with two shots of espresso.

29. Fisticup Ceramic Mug ($12): I mean, it's a mug with fisticuffs. What else do you need to know?

30. Earl Grey Macarons: Lovebirds need a little sweetness too.

Style

31. Dame De Paris Push Up Bra ($99): Feminine and edgy, and perfect for Ana.  

32. Polka Dot Pinup Dress ($70): Channel your inner Bettie Page with this pinup number.

33. Nordic Pattern Knit Shorts ($30): Schoolgirl charm with a love of the cold.

34. Gray Suspenders ($18): Suspenders seem like a must for Mister Grey.

35. Horton Spiked Loafers ($76): When your mate needs a swift (and spiky) kick in the rear. 

36. China Glaze Nail Polish Awaken ($4): An ideal nail color to match Miss Steele.

37. Herschel Survey Backpack ($56): Gotta have a stylish overnight bag.

38. Lattice Knit Long Sleeve Tee ($48): The lattice keeps you all tied up.

39. Nixon Men’s Resin Analog Watch ($60): To keep track of every secret rendezvous.

40. Pyramid Studded Tote ($79): You never know when your purse might come in handy as a weapon.

Weddings

41. Sonic Fabric Necktie ($120): Made of 50% recycled audiocassette tape, these chic ties double as… you know, ties. ;) 

42. Gray Porcelain Ring ($38): Go super mod and forgo the gold, platinum, and titanium for porcelain.

43. Mustache Corkscrew ($10): It's a mustache and a corkscrew. We don't need to spell it out. 

44. Gray Felted Bauble Necklace ($25): Another item that combines roughness with softness.

45. Gray Patchwork Bow Tie ($30): We love this shabby chic piece of flair.

46. Gray Flowers: A beautiful arrangement to inspire even a rainy wedding day!

47. Custom Gray Garter: Though the garter tradition may be an awkward one, this sexy little bit of lace is totally smokin'. 

48. Handcrafted Guestbook ($65): Collect your guests' love-filled thoughts in this handmade number. 

49. Flower Girl Flowers ($7): Adorn the little ones with these lovely felt fleurs! 

50. Gray Ombre Wedding Cake: And because all great things conclude with a wedding, check out this  grayscale wedding cake. We love it!   

And there you have it. 50 Shades of Living, Tech, Food, Style and Weddings. 50 Shades of Grey… the Brit way. Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

For today's collar pop, we used a few basic materials to update a handful of button-down shirts. Each of these projects took a matter of minutes!

Materials:
- neon duct tape (you know we love it)
- lace trim
- iron-on studs
- needle & thread
- iron & ironing board

We'll start with a little bit of lace. 

First, cut the end of your lace at the same angle as your collar to ensure it sits perfectly. Stitch using a whip stitch (up around the edge of the fabric rather than side to side) and continue around the entire collar. Cut off at the appropriate angle at the other end (the other collar point). If you like stitch the inside line as well. 

Lovely!

Now, the iron-on studs. These are basically metal squares that have the appearance of studs but are ridiculously easy to apply.

Iron your shirt flat so that it's an even surface. Lay down the studs in the pattern you like. Use a piece of cotton (old t-shirt, rag, etc) and lay it over the studs. Iron for 30 seconds or so, and you should be good to go. Repeat with the sleeve if you like!

Last, but not least, our old friend duct tape. This one is super easy and is more of a temporary jazz-up to any button down you have. 

Snip off 2-3 inches of tape, center it over the point of your collar. Fold on each side, and you're done! It's kind of ridiculous how simple this one is. A great move for adding a little color to just about anything.

We couldn't help but add duct tape collar trim to a few more shirts. 

Add a little pizzazz to your pinstrips.

Or try adding purple accent points to a navy linen dress. The most important thing about this project? Have fun with it! :)

How do you update old clothes for new trends? Send ideas our way on Twitter. And if adding collars to old button-downs isn't your jam, definitely check out Threadflip and make some dollars off those old threads! 

1. Photo Collage & FX: Send your mom a super cute and simple to create photo collage. This app lets you easily assemble any photos that you have stored on your iPhone, Facebook account, or Flickr account into a beautiful photo collage. You can also choose to add a message and fun captions to the collage for even more personalization. You can download the app for $1.99 and it is compatible with the iPhone and iPad. 

2. PopBooth: Create a photo strip of you and your siblings (or just you!) and give your mom an instant smile with the PopBooth app. PopBooth is a free photo booth app that will take four timed photos of you with your iPhone (photo booth style) and then turn those photos into a photo strip. You can adjust the mood of each photo with different filters that will turn the photos black & white or give them a vintage feel. Then, you can choose to instantly share the photo strip on Facebook or through email. 

Plus, you can order a copy of your photo strip to be printed and PhotoBooth will mail them right to your mother's door on high quality, glossy card stock for only $2.99.  For some tips on how to capture the best shots for your photo strip, consider taking the photos outside in a scenic spot (maybe with some pretty flowers) and don’t forget props! PopBooth is compatible with both the iPhone and iPad.

3. ComicBook!: Tell your mom how awesome she is with a comic book created just for her thanks to the ComicBook! app. The ComicBook! app will let you turn your whole family into heroes and villains all for your moms amusement. The app turns your photos into comic book pages thanks to tons of comic style photo filters, customizable page layouts, captions, graphics, fonts, and much, much more. You can share the comic through Facebook, email, and twitter, or you can print the comic and hand it off to your Mom as a gift. You can download the app for $1.99 and it is compatible with the iPhone and iPad.

4. Paperless Post: Customize your own Mother’s Day card with Paperless Post's app. Paperless Post makes it easy to send simple yet elegant customized stationary over the web. The app lets you select a card template and customize it with your own photo and message. Once you have finished making the card you can email it straight to your Mom’s inbox. Even better, she can reply to you right through the card. 

Use the video feature on your iPhone to create a totally unique and awesome Mother’s Day greeting right from your iPhone.  Want to create a short film for your mom? Recite a poem? Sing a song? The possibilities are endless with the video feature on your iPhone so why not go ahead and test them out. We suggest getting a friend to help you film and you will likely want to find a way to rest your iPhone on a sturdy surface so that you don’t end up with shaky footage. 

5. Viddy: If you want to spruce up your video with some filters or light editing there are a ton of great video editing apps to help you do that too. For example, Viddy is a free app that is being called the Instagram of video and the app lets you add visual effects, music, transitions, and even movie stars to your video. 

6. Silent Film Director: This app gives your video footage a vintage feel and even lets you turn them into silent films with music, transitions, title cards, and other effects that you would find in a silent film. No doubt the video feature on your iPhone makes the possibilities to show your appreciation for your mom endless. 

What techy ways do you use to send greetings to loved ones? Leave us your ideas in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Kamaila Sanders is the cofounder of Chalkpack, a new startup that offers a digital space for students and young adults to grow professionally and build their personal brand. In the past, Kamaila has written for Business Insider about new gadgets and technologies. Kamaila is passionate about helping women to understand how technology can improve their lives as well as discover the really cool things they can do with it! You can follow her on twitter: @KamailaSanders.

Wait, this weekend is Cinco de Mayo and The Kentucky Derby??
Mind = blown. Possibilities = endless. Here are 3 easily doable, totally delicious treats that combine the best of these two fabulously festive fiestas.

Avocado Benedictine Spread
A famous delectable in Kentucky all year long, but especially at Derby, is “Benedictine.” It’s essentially a light, creamy cucumber spread that Louisvillians spread on everything from crackers and vegetables to sandwiches. Try it out with a little Cinco de Mayo twist by whipping up the gorgeous green side with fresh avocado instead. Think of it like a light and creamy guacamole. ¡Muy bueno!

Halve two fresh, ripe avocados, discard the pits, and squeeze the insides into a bowl or mixer. Add 12 oz. of softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, and cayenne and salt to taste.

Mix into a light whip. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut veggies, or spread right on those fried chicken tacos! 

Mintequila Julep
If strong, syrupy bourbon drinks aren’t your style, but you want to push this Cinco de Derby theme past mint margaritas, try this clever cocktail we're calling a "Mintequila Julep." Bold and original, and sure to perfectly accessorize colorful Mexican/Derby fashion! 

Fill a shaker 1/2 full with ice. Add:
- 2 oz tequila blanco
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. aged rum
- 1 oz. red wine (gives it an amazingly bright, beautiful color!)
- 1 oz. soda water
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 squeeze of lime

Shake and strain into a crushed-ice-filled glass, mint julep cup, or hell, go for the margarita glass and garnish with a sprig of mint. If you’re extra loco, add a little spear of jalapeno.

Bonus street cred points if you've got a pair of official Kentucky Derby glasses to serve in!

Fried Chicken Tacos
Toss out your vision of a greasy bucket of drumsticks and instead picture a delicious make-your-own taco station with perfectly, lightly fried bites of chicken and fresh garden goodness! 

Pick up 3 – 4 breasts of organic, free-range chicken and slice into smaller bites. Dredge the chicken in either egg or buttermilk, and then fully coat in a bowl of flour mixed with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil and heat up nice and hot. Fry the bites to golden brown on each side, and then cook an additional 15 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350 to crisp up the skin and you're ready to go!

As far as assembling the tacos, you can put the whole bites right in a tortilla, or slice up even more for a more shredded filling. Try a layer of the avocado benedictine spread and then add the chicken, and dress with chopped tomato, red onion, jalapeno cheese, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and for extra heat, Sriracha!

Take it to the finish line by decorating with lime, mint, or rose petals.

 And there you have it! ¡Viva la Cinco de Derby!

Got any spicy recipes that combine these two festive events? We'd love to give them a try! Send recipes our way by leaving a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Liz Birch lived in NYC’s tiny East Village and big world of ad agencies until she swapped it all to open Rabe & Co., a tiny graphic design shop in the lovely, spacious Hudson Valley. She works with clients from Vancouver and LA to right down the street in Beacon, NY, where she also works a lot with cheese and bread, old canning jars, heirloom tomatoes, bobby pins and a sewing machine.

We know two things for sure about Moms: 1. They will definitely cry tears of maternal joy if you make them just about anything; and 2. If you show them what's cool in terms of style, it is one of the few times they will listen to you as an authority. So, let's get started!

Make Her Something Sweet

1. Send Her a Book of Chocolates: If you can't be with your mom, create a box of homemade chocolates in an old textbook! She'll be totally surprised, and will appreciate the time you spent making it. 

2. Pretzel Pops: Pretzel Pops are a big hit for any day of the week, but your mom will love your resourcefulness when you tell her that all you used was crescent roll dough and pretzel rods!

3. Caramel Apple Muffins: Your mom loves caramel apples and cupcakes, but you want a healthier approach. Introducing, caramel apple muffins! We recommend getting creative with toppings and maybe even throw some custom cut starburst on top!

4. Tie Day Cake Pops: Springy, pastel, and perfect for Mother's Day brunch, these also tap into your mom's psychedelic 60s nostalgia. ;) 

5. Mini Chess Pies: Another one that's distance-friendly, these mini chess pies are easy to make and are baked right in the jar you ship them in! 

Up Her Fashion Points

6. Crafty Accessories: If we haven't already made it clear, we strongly believe you can be both super crafty and uber-chic. And your mom can too. Check out these playful accessories by ModCloth, perfect for any crafty mom. 

7. Create a Bespoke Scarf: Take an old or new photo, scan it, and create a gorgeous one-of-a-kind silk scarf for your mom. Vintage landscapes would be particularly beautiful, or a photo of your mom's new grandson! 

8. Versetta iPad Purse: Your mom got an iPad and has no idea how to use it. Spend 30 minutes showing her how to use it, and gift her this chic bag for keeping it safe and stylish.

9. DIY Glitter Heels: Does your mom have some awesome vintage heels that could use a glittery update? We're guessing she does. You bring the glue + glitter. After all, moms need to be just as red-carpet-ready as we do. :)

10. Design a Hot Pair of Heels: Or maybe glitter isn't enough of an update? If your moms are like ours, they've had the same dozen staple heels for almost a decade. Update her look by sitting together and customizing a pair of smokin' heels, or order them ahead of time. 

Peruse Our Awesome Gift Guides

11. Love-ly Cooking Tools: We rounded this list up with Valentine's Day in mind, but moms do love their cookware! Number one on the list for us? Definitely the heart-shaped Le Creuset. 

12. Chevron Housewares: Buy her a stylish accent piece or two in the Chevron pattern. We recommend a chevron throw, set of napkins, or table runner.

13. One-of-a-Kind Gifts: Get her something that is incredibly personal and totally unique! From commissioning a drawing of her favorite books to brightly colored bangles, nothing says I love you like a custom gift. 

14. Tea Infusers: No question. Moms love tea. Make her tea time a little cuter with one of these playful tea infusers.

15. Chic Purses As Laptop Bags: Maybe your mom doesn't have an iPad but does need a non-clunky laptop bag? Any of these are sure to do the trick! 

Give Her A Makeover & Help Her Relax

16. Iron Braids: So you've got a few fashion points lined up, but what about hair and makeup? Show mom how to achieve super modern natural-looking waves with our clever flat iron braid hack. 

17. DIY Custom Palette: Help your mom downsize her makeup collection by making a custom palette of the makeup she uses most! 

18. Juice Cleanse: Something that will help make you over and relax, do a juice cleanse with your mom as a way of clearing your mind and body in time for summer.

19. Calming Mists: Take your mom's favorite scents (lavender and eucalyptus, perhaps?) and create a set of calming mists. These are great for getting a better night's sleep, especially after a stressful day at work.

20. Homemade Salt & Sugar Scrubs: Use essential oils and create a set of deeply cleansing, stress-relieving salt and sugar scrubs. Could be a fun project to do together. Being a son or daughter can be stressful too! 

How will you celebrate Mother's Day? Need more gift ideas? Leave us a note in the comments below!

To help get the fiesta going, we enlisted the help of Brit food contributor extraordinaire, Jaymee Sire. Jaymee is the one responsible for putting drunken gummies INSIDE of Star Studded Jello Shots for the Oscars. But her favorite party trick is gelling popular cocktails in citrus peels. Sure, it would be easy to just combine lime jello and tequila, but what’s the fun in that? Make good use out of those delicious fresh limes and whip up a more authentic jello shot!

Ingredients:
This will make approximately 24 lime “wedge” jello shots…feel free to double the recipe. ;)
- 6-8 limes
- 3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 package Knox unflavored gelatin (2 teaspoons)
- 3 ounces good quality tequila
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau (or Triple Sec if you must)
- sea salt and/or large crystal sugar, for garnish

The hardest part is actually hollowing out the lime peels. Trust me, it’s a lot harder than it looks, and if you have a paper cut, I would not recommend this task. I’ve found the easiest way is to cut a small slit at the top of the halved lime. 

Gently juice the lime (collecting into a measuring cup).

Then peel the pulp away from the peel. You can use a paring knife or grapefruit knife, but I’ve actually found that using my finger nails works best. 

Repeat until you have 12 lime halves and enough lime juice to equal 3 ounces. (You only need 6 limes for the shots, but you might need extra for more juice and/or in case you tear a few).

To keep limes secure, place them in a mini muffin pan. Combine lime juice, an ounce of water and sugar to small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin and allow it to soak in a minute or two. Warm over medium heat, stirring until sugar and gelatin dissolve. Stir in tequila and Grand Marnier and pour into lime halves. (I recommend using something with a spout like a measuring cup).

Allow to refrigerate at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Once jello has set up, cut into wedges.

Serve with a small bowl of sea salt or large crystal sugar for dipping. (Or a combination of the two!) I found the salt to be a little too intense with the jello, but try both out and see which one suits you best. Cheers! 

Jaymee Sire is an Emmy-award winning sports reporter and anchor at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in San Francisco. During baseball season, she covers the San Francisco Giants for CSN, and often anchors the network's flagship show, SportsNet Central in the offseason. When she isn't covering a sporting event, her true passion is food...whether it's eating out or cooking at home. She writes a blog called E is for Eat, posting alphabet-themed recipes and restaurant reviews several times per week. She also contributes a weekly tailgate blog on csnbayarea.com called Authentic Eats. Be sure to follow Jaymee on Twitter and E is for Eat on Facebook.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ve already seen our posts on Tailored (Pinterest for weddings), Our Favorite Online Party Stores, and Postable (the easiest way to collect addresses online), but our friend the Internet’s got a few more marital tricks up its sleeve. 

Etsy Weddings & Registry   
That’s right. Etsy has officially launched a Weddings portal and it includes a totally customizable Registry! We are pumped. Etsy has quickly become a go-to for crafty DIY-loving brides over the last few years, and the new Weddings zone embraces and enhances that. Check out trends from non-traditional hairstyles to mod dresses to alternative bouquets, and get inspired for your big day. 

The registry makes it super easy for couples to choose gifts that match their personal taste, decor, and lifestyle. From customized art pieces to vintage kitchen items, you can happily say goodbye to yet another high end toaster. Not only will this make the gifts you give and receive much more unique and personal, but it’s sure to bring a whole new slew of shoppers to Etsy’s site.

Google Docs for Weddings 
We use Google Docs for keeping track of just about everything here at Brit HQ and party planning is no exception. Lucky for brides and grooms, Google has a specific section devoted to all things wedding! From creating a simple website (though you should obvs be using Weduary for this!) to planning your budget, seating chart, guest list, and customizing maps for your events, Google Weddings will cater perfectly to folks who love to stay organized.

Rent the Runway
So, you just got engaged? Get ready to dress to the nines on a sometimes-more-than-monthly basis because you are about to throw, attend, and try to reschedule a whole lot of events where you're the guest of honor. You've got engagement drinks with friends, the official engagement party, high school girls brunch, college girls drinks, bachelorette party, and we haven't even gotten to the weekend of the wedding! Rent the Runway offers designer dresses for rent at a fraction of the retail price, and will guarantee your belle of the ball status at every event. 

StyleSeat
It's never too early to start thinking about the hair and makeup styles you want to rock on your big day. StyleSeat gives you access to the profiles and portfolios of stylists across the country, so not only can you get inspired but you can book someone as soon as you find one you like! And if you're in the Bay Area, be sure to check out Brit Resident Stylist Misty Spinney's rockin' profile.

Lover.ly 
Sure, it's got that whole Pinterest thing going on, but one thing we love about Lover.ly is that it looks much more like a visual mood board than a bulletin board. And the thing we love the most? You can search by COLOR. Yes, color! It's a great way to limit the visuals being thrown at you, and can help you further define your wedding palette. (Related: Check out last week's post on Type and Color for more unique ways to construct color palettes.) 

Birchbox Bridal Beauty Game Plan: Not really an online tool, but a solid list, this game plan from Birchbox outlines how to maintain that blushing bride glow throughout your engagement, wedding, and honeymoon. This is also a pretty good time to subscribe to Birchbox so you can try out all sorts of unusual and awesome beauty products before your big day. And if you're the maid of honor, go ahead and order the "Here Comes the Bride" box of goodies for the bride ASAP. 

Pinterest: Last but certainly not least, Pinterest! If you just got engaged and haven't yet signed up for Pinterest, now is the time! It can be bit of an overload at times, but is the perfect place to stow away all those bits and pieces of wedding inspiration you find online. 

For more wedding tips from our founder, Brit Morin, check out her series this week on Birchbox. And if you've got any wedding problems that need solved, DIY projects you'd like to share, or questions about our new app, Weduary, leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter. (Computer + Wedding Rings Image Source: Tecca)

Comprised of a Professional Collection, a Fashion Collection, and a Vacation Collection (coming soon), Versetta is revolutionizing how ladies can securely and easily use their iPad no matter where they are. 

When women use their iPads while commuting or traveling, they often rest their iPad on top of the purse anyway, and there's always a bit of nervousness about leaving it somewhere or worrying that it might slip out of your hand or purse when you get to your final destination. Plus, being able to reference your iPad without taking it all the way out of your bag is oh-so-convenient.

Essentially, they've taken a sleek iPad case and attached it to a matching handbag. While this combo seems ripe for a little DIY action, why DIY when it's already so well done by Versetta? Each bag has a front pocket for your iPad. Slip it in, and either unzip or unbutton the front flap to easily access your calendar, email, browser, etc.

Perfect for the uber-professional, the Norino Attache runs for $229 and comes in Black, Tan and Cordovan Brown. 

We're partial to the chic Serena ($189), which comes in Pink, Coral and Yellow.

Combine this with Adobe Creative Cloud and you've got a fully functional on-the-go office! What do you think of the Versetta? Awesomely convenient? Kind of unnecessary? Want a version for your MacBook Air? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

1. Margarita Bars: We'll start with the sweet stuff. Put a little twist on your lemon bar recipe, and make some margarita bars! (Recipe and photo: Sugar Crafter)

2. Margarita Cupcakes: These days cupcakes come in every flavor, color, shape, and size you want....so it’s no surprise to find some yummy margarita cupcakes! (Recipe and photo: Jason and Shawnda)

3. Margarita Ice Cream: This ice cream recipe isn’t quite as easy to make as our two-ingredient ice creams, but it sure does look tasty! (Recipe and photo: Recipe Bridge)

4. Margarita Fruit Dip: When I dip, you dip, we dip. Time to make Da Dip - margarita dip that is. ;) (Recipe and photo: Celebrations)

5. Margarita Cookies: Now they don’t get much cuter than this. These margaritas are sure to sparkle! (Recipe and photo: Pink Martinis and Pearls)

6. Margarita Pie: We can’t say no to key lime pie, so how can we say no to margarita pie? All you need for this bit of deliciousness is vanilla ice cream, frozen limeade concentrate and a graham cracker crust (Recipe and photo: Recipe Bridge)

7. Margarita Ice Pops: Need a sneaky way to bring your margarita to the pool or beach? Margarita ice pops are your answer! (Recipe and photo: Hostess With the Mostess) 

8. Margarita Cheesecake: Cream cheese, margaritas, and pretzels. Sounds like a winning combination to us! (Recipe and photo: Kari's Cooking) 

9. Margarita Chicken Salad: Put any extra margarita mix you have to good use with this good-lookin’ chicken salad! (Recipe and photo: Shine) 

10. Margarita Shrimp Bites: Start marinating some shrimp in your margarita (probably not the same one you are drinking:), add some puff pastry and they turn into a zesty appetizer! (Recipe and photo: Recipe Girl) 

11. Margarita Glazed Ribs: We want our baby back, baby back, baby back. baby back ribbbbssss.....with margarita glaze. (Recipe and photo: HCG Diet Recipes Made Simple) 

12. Margarita Shrimp Nachos: “Those are na--chos, they’re mine!” You better grab some fast, because these margarita shrimp nachos will be gone in a flash. (Recipe and photo: Food Network)

Have a Happy Cinco de Mayo, hopefully with many forms of margarita in hand! Do send your Cinco de Mayo food and drink our recipes by leaving a note in the comments below or on Twitter. 

Caitlin Dunn has been craving sweets since the day she was born. She quickly learned to bake but realized that her true passion is all in the decoration. If not in the kitchen, you will find her crafting her latest project of the week. Living in San Francisco has turned her a little 'green' which has changed her creative focus to making one person's trash another person's treasure. She documents the intersection of baking, crafts, tea, and everyday life on her blog teaspoon.

It was early 2011. The dress had arrived, the colors had been chosen, and the venue was booked. Now, all I had to do was finalize the guest list and send the invitations. Oh yeah, and we needed a website.

I searched all around the Internet for a good wedding website creator. The stuff I found was...how should I put this...not my style. A few examples, all from different notable companies offering their own website creation tools:

A few things came to my mind as I was browsing these sites:

 - Wait, people still use clip art on websites?
- Seriously? 20 navigation links on a single site?
- The music! Oh, the blaring music... please, make it stop.
- Are we back in the MySpace era?

It was clear to me that I was going to have to design my own wedding site. 

I started dreaming about what the ultimate wedding website would be: a visually beautiful, easy-to-navigate destination on the web that connected all of my guests with each other and with all of the info they actually cared about. Knowing all of the possibilities that the Facebook API has to offer, I knew it would be pretty simple to build the site of my dreams.

Once our site was finished, my fiancé and I sent the link around to our guests and were amazed at the reaction! Our guests were able to see who they should meet at the wedding based on their common interests and friends, tell personal stories about us (the bride and groom), and even cooler, edit their own personal profile page to declare where they were staying, what their cell phone number was, when they were arriving, and more.

I’m pretty sure our single friends loved the site the most -- we used a feature called “Flirt” to show them all the other single people who were coming and suggested who should meet based on the things they had in common -- after all, research proves that common friends are the primary introducers of married couples ;)

Our wedding site was so much of a hit, in fact, that several of our engaged friends asked if they could use the code for their own wedding site. Thus, the idea for Weduary began.

Weduary makes it easy for any bride and groom to build a social and beautiful wedding website in minutes. The first of many software offerings from us here at Brit & Co., Weduary is designed with a DIY spirit in mind -- you can personalize your entire site, from the domain name, to the registry info, to your custom color palette. Our goal is to do for wedding sites what Tumblr did for blogs and what Paperless Post did for online invitations. We are kicking things off with 10 beautiful themes to choose from (sorry Clip Art Fans, this isn’t the place for you), and will be adding more as often as we can work with designers to make them.

The site is social from the ground up. Once you log in with your Facebook account, we’re able to detect your spouse and enable you both to import photos you already have of yourselves on Facebook. You can invite your guests to the site via Facebook or by email. Once your friends log in, they’ll be able to RSVP to events, see who to meet (and potentially flirt with), tell stories, and more.

Not a bride or groom? Weduary is for you, too. As an invited guest to 10 (count them, ten!) weddings this year, I know just how hard it is to keep track of all of my friends’ wedding dates, sites, RSVPs and registries. If your engaged friends are using Weduary, you’ll be able to keep track of all the weddings you’re invited to in one spot on the web, thus ensuring you never have to ask questions like “where is their wedding?” ever again. We’ll be adding more guest features soon -- stay tuned!

As a technologist, I’ve always been taught to build websites with the user in mind. Having been “the user” for this particular category, I can faithfully say that this product was carefully designed with brides and their guests in mind. I’m really excited to open the doors to Weduary today, and hope that all of you -- brides, grooms and guests alike -- truly enjoy it. 

Here’s to a future of more social and beautiful weddings.

Another week, another food obsession. We hope you've had some fun with our trio of non ice cream maker ice cream hacks. Today, we turn to gadgetry for a fun way to prepare a sweet summer treat.

The ice cream sandwich is possibly the best way to eat ice cream. I'll admit, I was the kid who always favored a classic Good Humor Vanilla ice cream sando over Drumsticks, Chocolate Eclairs, and even Banana Splits. 

When we saw this adorable Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker, we fell instantly in love. Combine any cookie with any ice cream and turn it into a perfectly shaped bite-size treat? Sold!

Ingredients:
- cookies! (we used Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies & Oreo Cakesters)
- ice cream! (we used Breyer's Coffee, Vanilla, and Chocolate ice cream)
- tools: Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker

First, set up your staging area. Use two flat surfaces. One for cookies, and one for ice cream. You'll want the ice cream to soften a little bit, but not too much. Gotta work quickly for this one!

Use the sandwich cutter to cut your first layer of cookie. Then push it into the ice cream. Then one more cookie. Voila! Cookiewich! Place in the freezer while you prepare the next one.

Repeat with an Oreo Cakester for a creamy meta sandwich. 

Be sure to put each sandwich in the freezer as soon as you've made it. 

Assemble on a cake platter, tray, or colorful plate and serve as soon as you take out of the freezer!

What ice cream recipes are you excited to try now that the air is warming up? Let us know on Twitter or on the Brit & Co. Facebook page. 

And now, because app developers and modern day photographers are bosom buddies, you don't need high speed video cameras or crazy lenses to accomplish similar results. Thanks to Cinemagram, all you need is an iPhone! Your results won't be quite as crisp as Jamie's above, but they'll be playful, personal, and, of course, animated. :)

How it works: Once you fire up the (FREE!) Cinemagram app, you'll be prompted to take a hybrid of a photo and video. Really, it's a video that you will later turn into an animated photo. Once you've captured your image, use your finger to trace the area you'd like to keep in video form, and you're done!

Have fun with it. Take photos at a concert and illuminate the audience.

Capture the loveliness of running water.

Go Black Swan Style and get weird in the mirror. 

Cinemagram is definitely our new favorite camera app. We also really love the color pinwheel icon! Keep your eyes peeled for helpful cinemagrams showing up in upcoming tutorials. And be sure to follow us (hello@hellobrit.com). We'd love to see your Cinemagrams - we'll post the best ones we see on our blog!

Typewriter Waffle Iron: On the blasphemous side to those who love analog type, we can't help but giggle over this concept for repurposing a waffle iron. Yes, this was actually made but no it is not for sale. The "Corona-Matic" was created by Chris Dimino as part of "The Next Best…Ding!"

Confetti Garlands: We love Etsy seller KristinaMarie's playful confetti garlands! Each garland is handmade and wrapped on a wooden spool. It's basically a party in a box… but on a spool! Definitely ripe for a DIY attempt. 

Stone Shot Glasses: Whiskey rocks are so 2010. Why not make the glass out of stone and freeze the whole darn thing? Add this one to the gift list for liquor-lovin' guys and gals alike.

World's Largest Rainbow Parade: It's true. We've been all up in Kickstarter these days, and with good reason. There's so much innovative, artistic, awesome stuff coming out of there that sometimes it’s hard to keep up with. But anyway, back to the World's Largest Rainbow Parade. This is a birthday party and a parade, and it's happening tomorrow! Whether or not you're up for funding it, we love the idea of a birthday party parade. But what can I say, I'm partial to color-themed birthday parties. 

Another Waterproof Notepad!: We love our AquaNotes but what about when you need waterproof journaling capabilities in the pouring rain? This All-Weather Travel Journal by Rite in the Rain is ready to capture your most prolific writing moments, even in a storm.  

Muppetypography: Created by Mike Boon and available in prints and posters on Society6, this Muppet Alphabet is totally amazing. As children of the Muppet era, we sincerely wish this had been on our walls growing up. Our favorite is definitely B for Beaker and Bunsen (and Brit!).

Soft Cities: Looking for a super unique wedding, baby, or birthday gift? Check out Soft Cities and create a totally customized textile depicting a map of any location or neighborhood you choose. Great for kids to get to know their neighborhood, for newlyweds to wrap themselves up in the place they first met, and college friends who will giggle every time they see "the quad" with a big star on it. 

DIY Heart-Shaped Bokeh Lens: You know from our archive of photography-related posts that we love getting creative with our shutterbug tendencies. Check out this simple DIY for how to create unique shapes right on your lens! 

Daily Purchase Drawings: Since February 2006, Kate Bingaman Burt has been drawing something that she purchases every day. Whether it's a tube of Chapstick or a brand new Lumix camera, each drawing is personal, whimsical, and reminiscent of the oldest school catalogs around. 

Laser Cut Seaweed Sushi: And finally, Laser Cut Seaweed Sushi. Possibly the most beautiful sushi we've ever seen, and you know we love getting down with a laser cutter. These are currently only on sale in Japan but here's hoping they show up stateside in the near future! 

Stumble across something we've gotta check out? Leave us a link in the comments below or send awesomeness our way on Twitter. Happy Friday!

For kids, this means potential for surrounding themselves with kids just like them. Kids who are innovators, brainiacs, building block experts, and kids who just like to get their hands dirty (read: ALL kids). The goal is for DIY to be the first app and online community in every kid's life. The first official tool they've released is an app that lets kids collect everything they make in a portfolio available on the website and app.

Founded by Zach Klein of College Humor, Vimeo, Boxee, and Svpply,  DIY is the perfect combination of playtime and arts and crafts, but taken to the next level. Once you sign your kid up for DIY, he or she gets to choose an animal avatar making sure identities are kept totally secure. Parents also have their own dashboard so they can see what their kids are posting online, and have the ability to mark certain projects as private if needed.

Aside from the community of super creative kids, DIY makes it ridiculously easy for kids to share all their creative pursuits with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. If you see a project you like, give it a sticker to show your support. 

The iPhone / iPod touch app taps right into the same community as the website, and makes it super easy to snap photographs of recent projects and add them to your portfolio. The Internet is 100 percent apart of kids lives today, so why not create a super awesome digital tool that actually breeds analog creativity?

First, we wish something like this had been around when we were little! Second, can they make a version that's just as playful and easy to use for grownups? 

Do you know of any awesome communities for kids that promote creativity and resourcefulness? What about ones for grownups? Let us know what you think about DIY.org in the comments below and be sure to follow all the DIY happenings on Twitter.

1. Project "Brideway”
A Project Runway update to the classic “create a toilet paper dress” game, go full tilt and use more than just endless rolls of TP!

Create a station for materials and stack it up with blankets and bedsheets, scarves and leg warmers, newspaper and glue, etc. Even tell your guests to plan ahead – tearing out a few pages from an old high school yearbook never feels anything but amazing! Or sneak some old t-shirts or ties from the groom to throw in there. 

Break into teams and work on pre-selected or volunteer “models” who show off their best avant-garde, truly couture gown for the bride-to-be, who can either choose a panel of judges or get her bridezilla on and rule alone. (Image Sources: Mister Midwester, Squidoo, Creative Commons)

2. Recipes (with a sexy twist)
Is your girlfriend is registered for new plates and pots, a stand mixer, and a roasting pan?

Make sure she'll know what to do with them by asking guests to come to her shower with a favorite recipe.

You can make cute blank recipe cards ahead of time for a book or box, or check out Etsy for cool homemade ones.

For extra fun, include a "Spicy" section and have guests write anonymous sexy tips for the bride to keep the heat on for years to come. (Image Sources: Craftzine, Etsy)

3. DIY Photo Booth
Setting up a backdrop for fun photos is always a good time, but add a few surprises for a bridal shower to make really memorable pics.

Veils, bouquets, and oversized fake diamond rings are ideal, but especially cute when paired with oversized sunglasses and fake mustaches, too!

Pre-make funny marital advice cards, or have a handheld chalkboard or colored paper for guests to write a special wish for the bride and hold up with a big smile. 

Other unexpected twists include a great pic of the groom printed like a life-size prop so he’ll be on hand for getting a kiss from best friend to grandma like this one of me and my hubby from my bridal shower! :) (Image Sources: Rock Paper Scissors Events, Your Sweet Studios)

Liz Birch lived in NYC’s tiny East Village and big world of ad agencies until she swapped it all to open Rabe & Co., a tiny graphic design shop in the lovely, spacious Hudson Valley. She works with clients from Vancouver and LA to right down the street in Beacon, NY, where she also works a lot with cheese and bread, old canning jars, heirloom tomatoes, bobby pins and a sewing machine.

Big news today! We're tweaking our branding and domain name from HelloBrit to Brit & Co. 

Why, the change, you ask? Good question. 

A few answers:

a) We are a growing team here, and though the company is indeed led by Brit herself, the "& Co." is much more reflective of the growing pod of awesome contributors on staff. See a few photos of our contributing team above. (Psst, want to be a contributor? Submit a proposal.)

b) As much as we love Hello Kitty, it was awkward to have a similar brand name as a fictional Japanese animal.

c) We have always been obsessed with Tiffany & Co. (Fact: Brit's mom almost named her Tiffany before she was born. It's true! You can ask her.)

d) Our domain name is now much shorter, making it easier to include links in tweets. Stay tuned for the Brit.co URL shortener! ;)

e) HelloBrit? Hello Brit? Hello, Brit!? HelloBrit.com? We know… it was weird.

What else is changing?

Nothing! We're excited to continue bringing you guys all the same daily tips and shortcuts for creative, savvy living. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our new moniker.

As you may have noticed, it's Ice Cream Week here at Brit. We've rounded up a dozen recipes from all over the web, as well as served up 3 ice cream (without an ice cream maker) recipes of our own. Today, we turn to gadgetry. Check out these 12 tools for making ice cream more fun, creative, and delicious, beyond the scoop. ;)

1. Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker ($15): Ice cream sandwiches, in miniature. Basically the cutest thing ever. And has loads of potential for mini ice cream cake towers, or non ice cream sandwiches.

2. Cone Maker ($50): It's a waffle maker, for cones! We'd love to try making all sorts of flavored cones, from sweet to savory. Yum!

3. Dippin Dots Frozen Dot Maker ($30): Dippin Dots at home! A lot of reviews neg this one as it doesn't involve the liquid nitrogen used to make legit dots. We've got one here at Brit HQ and will be trying it out tomorrow. Stay tuned. 

4. Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball ($23): Have your ice cream, but exercise to get it made. This Play and Freeze is either ingenious or ridiculous. Rather than using any kind of machinery like your plug in ice cream maker, this ball simply needs to get kicked, shaked or passed around. Great for BBQs, picnics, camping trips, etc. And be sure to cue up "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."

5. Walrus Scoop ($15): I am the walrus (scoop)! Playful, useful, and your new best friend (or worst enemy?). 

6. Scoop and Stack Ice Cream Scoop ($15): Ideal for classy dessert presentation, this scoop is also fun for making a super silly Jenga-esque tower of ice cream just for kicks. 

7. 400 Spoon Straws ($10): It can be pretty annoying to get all that melty ice cream out at the bottom of the bowl. Lucky for you, there's a spoon straw made to do the trick. These are ideal for shakes but could also be fun for a cold summer soup. 

8. Ben and Jerry’s Pint Lock ($7): We can’t find a site that seems to be legitimately selling these, but they are hilarious. This link will take you to a site that looks just like Ben & Jerry’s but when you go to the official site, there is no pint lock to be found. Someone... cracked the code? (Had to.) 

9. Norpro Ice Cream Sandwich Maker ($5): And by sandwich maker, we mean... a box with two lids. All digs aside, this little doodad does help you form perfectly shaped ice cream sandwiches and only costs 5 bucks.

10. Motorized Ice Cream Cone ($9): Possibly the laziest gadget around, this motorized ice cream cone takes the tough task (tough?) of ice cream cone rotation out of your hands. Well, it's still in your hands but absolutely no effort is needed. We think this is on the too silly side, but love the colorful cones.

11. Soft Serve Machine ($87): Got 20 minutes and a craving for a Frosty? This little puppy'll churn out the good stuff, in no time at all. Fill it up with your favorite toppings and experiment with even healthier frozen yogurt recipes.  

12. Vintage Snow Cone Cart ($185): Not only an amazing vintage decor piece, this snow cone cart turns your regular old ice cubes into perfectly shaved, fluffy snow. We love the idea of having one of these at the dessert table of a wedding or birthday party, or just casually keeping it next to the fridge in your kitchen. 

And stay tuned for a riveting post on ice cream inspired decor and wearables! Ok, not a whole post. Just a bonus quartet of ice cream awesomeness and silliness we found while looking for gadgets.

1. Ice Cream Like Tee ($25): Facebook + Ice Cream? An obvious win at Brit HQ. 

2. Cone Lamps: Maybe on the too silly side, we do like the idea of hanging a couple of these in the mix with a pendant chandelier. Sadly, it looks like they are no longer available. DIY? 

3. Ice Cream Themed Furniture ($2,999): Isn't it time you gave your kitchen an ice cream makeover? ;) 

4. Ice Cream Heels: Of course you need ice cream cones on your heels! We have to admit, we're impressed by the creative use of the heel shape and love the idea of brainstorming more fun things to paint on your heels. 

How do you get creative with making, serving and preparing ice cream? We'd love to hear about recipes, gadgets, and any other tidbits you'd like to share. Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Lucky for you, Polaroid has gone digital, in the best way possible. 

The Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera is an awesome combo of analog and digital. The best thing about old Polaroid cameras is their instantness. There's nothing like taking a photo and holding it in your hand moments later. In a world where just about everything is online, the few Polaroids you collect from here and there are what adorn walls, bulletin boards, refrigerators, and desks. On Photojojo, snag the Z340 along with 10 prints for $299 or go the Amazon route for $299 without prints.

But, sometimes you take a bad photo on your Polaroid, and it feels totally wasteful. Not to mention being kind of a bummer. The Z340 takes that risk away by offering a digital screen where you can check photos out before you print, as well as crop, experiment with colors and borders, remove red-eye, and then print!

Plus, the film the Z340 employs is more affordable and sustainable than instant film. The ZINK paper is smudge-proof, water and tear-resistant and dries as soon as it prints. If you revel in the surprise of an instant print but wish you could hold on to digital version of your Polaroid photos, this photo is also perfect for you! You can set the camera to print your photo as soon as the shutter is pushed, and revel in the old school experience with new school tricks. 

By new school tricks, we mean the fact that this camera is compatible with your SD card so you can upload custom borders (perfect for wedding/event customization) and print photos shot on other digital cameras!

We love it. Adding it to our list of Must-Haves for the Modern Photographer, and definitely trying it out for a little Scratch Off Mother's Day card action. What do you think of this digital Polaroid? Would you use it? Too pricey? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Polaroid product photographs courtesy of our friends at Photojojo. 

From an on-the-go crafting bundle to the best way to keep your nails did , consider this your starter kit for getting your party started. And yes, just about all of this stuff is available on Amazon.

1. Mini Glue Gun: You have no idea how often you are going to hot glue things in your new bridal career. Go mini so you can have it for anything that might come up. 

2. Small Flask: Ok ok, this isn't crucial. But there are going to be days when you get ridiculously stressed out over the fabric pattern on the dining chairs at your rehearsal dinner. We recommend pairing Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka with Nutella so you get your sweet fix as well. 

3. Novelty Hole Punch: Time to relive your summer camp days and get really savvy with the novelty hole punch. This one, by Muji, punches a series of tiny circles in the corner of your paper. Also great for DIY confetti!

4. Mini Hole Punch: If you've got a standard 1/4 inch hole punch, you can put it to bed. Snag a 1/8 inch one for favors, cards, and so much more.

5. Stamps: You are about to send a LOT of mail. Keep stamps on hand so you're never in a pinch. And use this stamp affixer to avoid a Seinfeld-esque fate.

6. Baker's Twine: Like clothes from Forever 21, this stuff is cheap and always looks good. Check out Etsy for super fun colors.

7. Mints: Part of getting ready for your wedding is meeting a lot of different caterers, florists, and a whole host of other people. You don't want stinky breath. Plus, every time you see your fiance you are totally required to give him a smooch!

8. Nail Buffer and Shine: People are going to ask to see your ring all the time. Manicures are great but often don't list. Go au natural with a set of buffers so your nails always look great.

9. Lip Gloss: Keep those lips kissable! And prepare for tons of photos with each and every friend that wants to buy you a celebratory drink.

10. Tide To-Go: Just in case you end up decided to do an impromptu photo shoot, make sure your clothes are clean as a whistle.

11. Nail Files: To go along with your nail buffers, nail files. Don't want a broken nail to get snagged on a potential wedding dress!

12. Measuring Tape: Whether you're measuring yourself or a crazy antique record player that would be perfect for cocktail hour at the reception, you're going to be measuring many things. 

13. Notebook: Yes you'll keep lots of notes on your phone, but writing things down is helpful for keeping things in order. We love Moleskine, Field Notes, and Scout Books.

14. Sharpies: Ready to address 300 save the dates? 

15. Xacto Knife: Like the mini glue gun, this is an essential when even beginning to get crafty.

Second, you have to figure out the best storage technique for you.

Keep everything in a cosmetics bag that you can throw in your purse.

Or a mason jar. (P.S. You can go ahead and order 300 mason jars now - you will definitely use them.)

A cute bin for in your kitchen, in your trunk, or at your office.

Or be a really rockin' bride and keep all this stuff in a JammyPack! Other ideas for storage could be a hot pink toolbox, a carved out book, or a good old heavy duty ziploc. ;)

We hope this helps you get started! It's such an exciting time, and we're pumped to be helping you along the way. Be sure to follow our Weddings category for all sorts of fun projects, tools, and inspiration for keeping your wedding fun, creative, and totally you. And if you have any ideas, questions or thoughts you'd like to share, leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Most importantly, neither of these recipes require an ice cream machine or even ice! You just need a blender, a hand mixer, or strong arms and a whisk. 

Almond Joy Ice Cream (makes about 2 cups)
- 1 can coconut milk (not light)
- 1/2 cup Nutella

Start with 1 can of coconut milk and 1/2 cup Nutella.  Place ingredients in a blender.

Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, or until uniform in color, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender as needed.

Place mixture in a bowl and freeze for 6 hours for a softer ice cream and overnight for a firmer texture.

So scrumptious, and tastes just like Almond Joy! Now, onto our basic ice cream.

Basic Ice Cream (makes about 3 cups)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Start with whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk.

Measure 1 cup whipping cream and place in a large bowl.

Whip cream on medium until slightly thickened, then increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. See how there’s a peak in the bowl below, that’s how you know you have stiff peaks.

Measure 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, gently add to the whipped cream and fold in. Don’t mix too much or you’ll deflate the whipped cream.

Pour into a bowl and freeze overnight. Or, you can mix in some toppings at this point...

We chose to add Oreos and fudge.  

Crumble up your desired number of Oreos and throw in a few dollops of fudge. Make 2 or 3 turns of your spatula around the bowl, but don’t completely mix the ingredients together. You want to have chunks of Oreo and fudge. Pour into a bowl and freeze overnight, and voila!

There you have it! Easy basic ice cream that can be made into any flavor combination your heart desires. Now that is simple and amazing.

Don’t forget to check out Bananas and Biscoff, our other 2-ingredient ice cream, and stay tuned for more plays on ice cream later this week. 

Do you have an awesome non-traditional ice cream recipe we need to try out? Send us your recipe via the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

Whether you're a professional photographer capturing neon colors in the sky or a creative dad taking crazy photos of your daughters, the act of committing to a series lends itself to all sorts of creative expression. It's like giving yourself a homework assignment. Try to fit this specific thing into your daily, weekly, or monthly creative practice and see what happens. As is our nature, we've taken it upon ourselves to round up 12 of the most creative photo series seen around the web today, as well as a few bonus ideas for creative inspiration and participation. 

1. The Flying Baby Series: No better way to kick things off than with a flying baby. We adore this series. It's creative, playful, and seems to defy physics. Photographer Rachel Hulin stumbled into this shot while simply taking a photo of her son when he looked as if was floating in midair. 

2. Underwater Dogs: From infants in the air to dogs underwater, this next series takes man's best friend into the big blue. Photographer Seth Casteel is a professional pet photographer whose dedication to animals is pretty incredible. In fact, he's got a whole side non-profit business taking gorgeous photos of dogs in shelter with the hope of finding them good homes. Keep your eyes on Amazon for Underwater Dogs in print.

3. Same Hill, Different Day: This series by Paul Octavious captures, as the name suggests, the same hill throughout the changing seasons. The hill in question is in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and is a popular, comforting, iconic spot for Chicagoans, whether the season calls for sledding, stargazing, napping, or kite-flying. Love this hill so much you want it in your home? Snag a print or two at 20x200. 

4. People as Snowflakes: Known for utilizing the human form in unusual ways, we love this whimsical pair of snowflake photographs by Gregoire Alexandre. Adding it to the list of inspiration for the Brit team photo!

5. Photo Drips: Color! Manipulating photos might not quite count as a photo series, but you won't tell anyone, will you? ;) These beautiful wood panels by Markus Linnenbrink allow the viewer to catch a glimpse of a moment that was captured, and have the effect of memories fading in and out. 

6. Everyday by Noah Kalina: This photo series never ceases to amaze us. Starting in 2000, photographer Noah Kalina has photographed himself every single day from the exact same angle in the exact same position. It creates a super interesting chronicle of how ones face is always changing depending on time, place, and age, but those eyes are just the same! Want to see Noah as a fresh-faced undergrad? Check out the Everyday video here. 

7. Sky Series: These excruciatingly gorgeous photographs by Eric Cahan definitely make us want to spend more time waking up and/or going to bed at odd hours to try to capture the brilliant hues found in the sky. Most of the work for this project has been created during Cahan's extensive travels, and each photograph's title includes the place and time of day. 

8. Kristin and Kayla: What started as a creative way for wedding photographer Jason Lee and his daughters to keep in touch with his mom who had recently been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, has become a full-blown internet photog sensation. We love the playfulness and creativity in each of these photos.

9. Maddie on Things: Reminiscent of William Wegman and his Weimeraners, Theron Humphrey's charming Maddie on Things series catalogs what he describes as "A Super Serious Project about Dogs and Physics." Humphrey will spend this year road tripping around the states, capture his supermodel coonhound ON things. Come to SF Maddie! 

10. High Speed Coffee: No, we're not talking about a super caffeinated cup of coffee. ;) By using an extremely high speed, high resolution camera, photographer Jack Long has mastered the art of capturing fluid in movement. The coffee series is one we can relate to, but be sure to check out his personal photo stream on Flickr for more creative uses of everyday liquids and speedy settings. 

11. Stellar Series: That's right. Animated gifs are not just for Deal WIth It dogs with sunglasses. In the past year or two, we've seen more and more artful uses of the gif popping up, sometimes called wiggles or cinemagraphs. This series by Ignacio Torres employs dust and reflective confetti (!!!) to create galaxies to illustrate the theory that humans are made of cosmic matter as a result of stars death. Whoa. 

12. Instaxgrams: Instax and Instagram. Sworn enemies or would-be allies just waiting to unite in the form of a creative photo series? We love this series by Kyle Steed who takes the vintage quality of Instagram and combines it with the analog awesomeness of Fuji Instax Instant photos. 

Want to be part of a crowdsourced photo series? Here are two we love:

Young Me / Now Me: Not a recent photo series but one that we always love to check out, ZeFrank's Young Me / Now Me asks for photos where you pose as your younger self. Every image is user submitted, so the photography is less polished but more personal. Personal stories are included on the blog, including the holiday one above submitted by none other than yours truly!

Jump Because: Jumping photos are awesome! They infuse life into any photo shoot, and always come out completely different. Submit jumping photos to this site, and keep on jumping. 

No matter what, you don't need professional photography equipment to have fun with photo series. Grab your point and shoot or your smartphone, and get creative with props, backdrops, daily captures, etc. Check out two examples from my personal snapshot collection: 

A Day at Alameda Antiques Faire in Mirrors: Taken with an iPhone, this was a one day project inspired by all the gorgeous and unusual antique and vintage mirrors at the Alameda Antiques Faire just east of San Francisco.

Superimpose Yourself Everywhere: Take a silly picture of you and your significant other and drop it into ridiculous backgrounds. This was a fun project we did for our holiday party. The original photograph was taken on a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico. With a little help from photoshop, our brightly colored selves have really been getting around. 

And just because it's so silly and so well done, an honorable mention goes out to this guy who is crazily masterful at Photoshopping celebrities into his holiday party photos. 

Have you seen any incredible photo series we should know about? Want to try your hand at a personal series inspired by one of the projects above? Send us links and photos via the comments below or on Twitter and we'll feature the best ones on your blog. 

Enter the Amplifiear, this week's inventive Kickstarter find.

The Amplifiear was born in Brooklyn, while Nonlinear Design founder Evan Clabots was watching a film and noticed his iPad sounding better than usual. The streets were just as noisy, his studio mates were just as raucous, but there was a cardboard box sitting behind the iPad, reflecting the sound. Boom! An idea was born.

Now, how does it work? The coolest thing about the Amplifiear is that it's a tech gadget in the most low tech analog way possible. It simply clips onto the corner of the iPad and reflects and amplifies the sound coming from the back speaker. No more distortion when you're trying to hear something, or always turning the volume all the way up. For a $20 Kickstarter pledge, choose whichever color you like and prepare to revel in a serious sound upgrade.

And, the Amplifiear is downright quirky. It's colorful, has a comedic disposition (yes, inanimate objects can have dispositions), and pairs playfully with the sleekly designed iPad or iPad 2. 

What about wanting to share videos with friends? Especially when you're on the go? The Amplifiear makes it ridiculously easy, and is virtually indestructible. 

Think about all those times you've been cooking and wish you could refer to the latest Brit episode or are dying to catch up on Game of Thrones.

The prototypes you see here are 3D printed models that do the job for the time being, but will not be what funders receive. The full-tilt Amplifier will be made of ABS plastic that's much lighter than the 3D model, and recyclable. Throw it in your back pocket and prepare to get your sound on. 

What do you think of the Amplifiear? Know of any other tech-related Kickstarter projects we should know about? Leave a note in the comments below find us on Twitter. And stay tuned for more innovative gadgets here on Brit. 

Oh, the hunt for the perfect laptop bag. You don't want something that actually looks like a laptop bag, but you do want something that is hearty enough to support your computer. And what about those nights that you've got a hot date or fancy event right after work? It's for those reasons and so many more that we, along with resident stylist Misty Spinney, decided to put together a collection of stylish purses that will actually fit your laptop, from 11 inch to 15 inch.

First, bags for 11-inch laptops. 
We used measurements for an 11-inch MacBook Air. Be sure to check the dimensions of your computer against the dimensions of each bag before purchasing. 

1. Frye Brooke Envelope ($298): This slim number is a lovely light tone for spring with hand-hammered studs adding the right amount of edge. Throw in your laptop, your phone and lip gloss, and you're good to go. 

2. BCBG Snake-Embossed Canvas Bag ($132): Like a little sassy to go with your classy? The brightly colored snake-style band across the middle gives a regular old canvas shoulder bag a good dose of spice. 

3. Hobo Blaze ($161): Tote your laptop around with a more bohemian sensibility. This fringy number is made of soft suede leather with a hint of shimmer. 

4. Tech on Your Trek Backpack ($50): Wear this as a shoulder bag, backpack, or handbag. We love the bright color!

Now, bags for 13-inch laptops.
For this, we used measurements for an 13-inch MacBook Pro. Be sure to check the dimensions of your computer against the dimensions of each bag before purchasing. 

5. Botkier Leela Tote ($230): We love this sizzling silver tote for occasions when you need to carry your laptop but still keep things fancy and festive. 

6. Neon Orange Upwardly Mobile Satchel ($170): Designed by The Cambridge Satchel Company in the UK, this bag (and ones like it) have been spotted on fashionistas from New York to Tokyo. 

7. Irving Place Nadine ($528): Oh Kate Spade, how we love how much you love color? This is definitely on the splurge side of things, but you probably wouldn't need another go-anywhere bag for quite a long time. 

8. Macrame Fringe Hobo Sling ($211): Another bohemian number, this is an earthy way to keep your laptop and other work essentials safe.

And finally, for 15-inch laptops.
As you probably guessed, we used measurements for an 15-inch MacBook Pro for this set of bags. Be sure to check the dimensions of your computer against the dimensions of each bag before purchasing. 

9. Eucalyptus and Me Bag ($60): Bring this bag out for the big guns. Your powerful 15 inch laptop will fit happily in this bag, along with chargers, flip flops, and whatever else you might need for today's adventure. 

10. Kitana Hobo ($398): Hayden-Harnett won us over with the Bespoke Scarf, but really sealed the deal by having a Laptop Friendly section of their website. This Kitana Hobo is just one of many stylish ways to carry your computer on-the-go. 

11. Grand Street Gabriel ($478): Our second Spade splurge, this features two compartments so you can keep technology in one, and more fun things in the other. ;) 

12. Milton Satchel ($798): Why not go out with a bang? Another one from Hayden-Harnett, this piece of mulberry beauty is both professional and funky all at the same time. The ultimate work and travel bag, you can choose from 9 bold hues. And it's got a padded laptop compartment. Swoon! 

How do you tote around your tech essentials? Have one of these and love it? Leave us a note in the comments below, or send stylish laptop-carrying tips our way on Twitter.

First, the world of type.

1. Kern Type: A Kerning Game: This kerning game is great for helping designers practice the art of type kerning. If you don't know what kerning is, it is the art of making sure all the letters in a given word are evenly spaced. And, of course, we love our Learn to Kern tee! 

2. Type Connection: It's the Love Connection for type. This game helps you learn how to pair typefaces in the style of a dating website. It features well-known, workhorse typefaces and portrays each as a character searching for love. We were naturally drawn to Archer, a font designed specifically for Martha Stewart Living. 

3. LetterMPress: As a designer, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the oldest forms of typesetting and publishing around. LetterMPress is an app that lets you virtually letterpress! You can place and arrange type, mix inks together to find a color that works for you, and even turn a digital hand crank to make a print. Plus, you can export your projects and actually have them printed! Love it.

4. FontStruct: FontStruct is a site that allows you to build, share and download fonts for free. The editing software is straightforward and simple to use, and it's a great way to play around with logos and shapes even if they aren't exactly letters. Browse the gallery for inspiration, and for new fonts to use!

And now, let's tackle color. 

5. Online Color Test: Think you're a color genius, even on the computer screen? Put those skills to the test with the online color test! Drag and drop each color tile to arrange it by hue order. 

6. Kuler Create: This tool is great for coming up with unusual but aesthetically pleasing color palettes. Whether you're looking for an analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary or compound color scheme, this tool will make the process oodles easier. You can start with a base color, or even a base image. And, of course, you can check out their theme gallery for lots of color inspiration.

7. Color Happy Palettes: If you don't know where to start with color grouping, this section of design blog designworklife is a great place to start. They take photographs, posters, stamps, matchbooks, and just about everything else with color on it and convert them into lovely color themes. 

8. 0 to 255: Now that you've figured out your color theme, what about all the shades you need to go with it? 0 to 255 helps you find every shade and variation of a given color, in a simple, visual way.

But what about getting your gorgeously designed websites and apps online? 

9. Codeacademy: Yes, we've written about it before, but you can't deny that learning the basics of coding will put you above and beyond as a designer. Even if you can't tackle the fancy stuff, some basic knowledge will make all those long conversations with engineers that much easier. ;)

10. Treehouse: Similar to Codeacademy, Treehouse makes Web Design, Development, and iOS way more accessible. With over 700 training videos, Treehouse's course library covers a wide array of topics as well as projects to help you build real-world apps. 

How do you pump up your design skills? Know of any websites, apps or design games we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below and we'll check 'em out!

1. Pumpkin and Black Sesame Ice Cream Cake: Why layer a boring old cake when it can be an ice cream one? Ok cakes are never boring, especially when layered but we absolutely love the muted color palette of this gorgeous cake. (Recipe and photo: Urbane Fruits) 

2. Vanilla-Bean Ice Cream With Almond Sablé and Chocolate Liquid Crunch: Remember Magic Shell? This takes your childhood memories of a magic chocolatey substance that hardens over ice cream to a whole new, super gourmet level. (Recipe and photo: Sucrèe) 

3. Sweet Corn Ice Cream: Popular in Malaysia, sweet corn ice cream is the absolutely perfect thing for a summer day. How can you resist cream, corn, and anything in sandwich form? (Recipe and photo: From My Lemony Kitchen)

4. Popcorn and Salted Caramel Ice Cream: Two of our (and possibly the world's) favorite things are popcorn and salted caramel. We were stunned by the ingenious popcorn cake in our recent cake roundup, and add salted caramel to anything and everything we can. (Recipe and photo: Phuoc N' Delicious) 

5. Chewy Gingersnaps and Coconut Key Lime Ice Cream: This takes any form of ice cream sandwichery you've seen, and kicks it right in the rear. First, you've got chewy gingersnaps topped with chopped pistachio. Then you've got coconut key lime ice cream, whose green hue comes from half of an avocado! So delicious, and so tropical. (Recipe and photo: The Incuisition)

6. Girl Scout Cookie Cream Cups: Remember these little darlings? If you've still got Girl Scout Cookies hanging around, we commend you and also urge you to try this bit of deliciousness! All you need is your favorite type of cookie, sugar cookie dough, and ice cream! (Recipe and photo: Brit) 

7. Cake Batter Snow Ice Cream: We know it's a little late in snow season (in fact, probably too late) to bring up creative ways to use snow, but this is also totally doable with shaved ice. And if you are planning a spring ski trip, you can definitely whip this up. To get the Cake Batter flavor, use Pinnacle cake flavored vodka which also keeps the ice cream soft and smooth. Liquor in ice cream? Sounds good to us! (Recipe and photo: Snappy Gourmet)

8. Chocolate Doughnut, Nutella and Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches: More a preparation and less a recipe, these look totally insane and inspire us to experiment with all sorts of different outsides and fillings for interesting ice cream sandwiches. Perhaps an ice cream sandwich bar is in order? (Recipe and photo: How To: Simplify)

9. Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich: Yes. Another ice cream sandwich! But this one was way too sweet not to include. Like our Banana Biscoff, this recipe is dairy-free, and doesn't even need an ice cream maker. Beets are used for color, and cake mix is used for the "bread." Love it! (Recipe and photo: V.K. Rees Photography)

10. S'mores Ice Cream Pie: A delightfully close friend of our No Bake S'mores Pie, this basically adds a layer of chocolate ganache and chocolate ice cream to the middle, in adorable individual pie crusts. When you're ready to serve, top with a meringue or roasted marshmallows. (Recipe and photo: Kitchen Confidante)

11. Chocolate "Ice Cream" Bars: Oh hello another vegan no-ice-cream-maker recipe! For the ice cream, combine bananas, dark chocolate cocoa, and peanut butter. For the outer chocolate shell, a handful of chocolate morsels or melts and coconut oil. Definitely giving these a try! (Recipe and photo: Kumquat)

12. Drunken Affogato Ice Cream Shots: Another recipe that is more of a prep idea, we love the idea of pairing flavorful liquors with complementary ice creams. Three cheers for ice cream! (Recipe and photo: CHOW)

Which creative take on ice cream is your favorite? Got any recipes or prep ideas we should know about? Give us a shout in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

I can personally attest to the difficulty of this situation. Looking back on the nine months I've had Pixel (who also serves as Brit team mascot), I've often needed a dog sitter, but didn't want to bother my friends by asking them to watch him. However, if I'd have known that a selection of my friends were happy, and in fact, desiring, to watch Pixel, that would have been a different story.

That's where Spotwag comes in. Spotwag is a new service that lets you schedule a pet sitter amongst your friends, rather than from a kennel or pet hotel. As a pet owner, it saves you big bucks and also gives you peace of mind, knowing that someone you know and trust will watch your pet, rather than a stranger.

You simply set your pet's profile, then declare when you need help watching him or her. Once you submit your request, your friends will be notified via your Twitter and Facebook page and can respond to offer help, either for pay or for good karma. I tried this out for Pixel a few times over the past couple of months and was AMAZED at how quickly and how many friends offered to watch him! In fact, the most challenging part of it all is selecting a winner amongst the group of respondents. (Disclosure: I'm an advisor to the company and as such, got to be a beta tester.)

On the flip side, if you aren't a pet owner but have always wished for a Rent-A-Dog service, Spotwag is for you, too. You can offer to watch your friends' pets on your schedule. It's great for those slowly building up their courage to finally own a pet, or for all of you who have commitment issues…you know who you are ;)

Spotwag CEO, Chris Wake, puts it this way: “No parent would leave their child with a stranger, and we know that for many pet owners the decision is the same. Spotwag exists so you never have to leave your pet with a stranger again. Our social integration, seamless experience and conversational tone remove the awkward in asking friends for help, and make it as easy to coordinate pet sitting with friends as it is to call a professional.”

If you are a pet owner, or if you simply just love pets, check out Spotwag and see just how easy it is to schedule a sitter. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or finding us on Twitter.

The biggest challenge with DrawSomething, though, is making a beautiful drawing when all you have to use is your finger! It's really difficult to draw those fine lines and tiny details that give your teammate a better clue as to what the heck you are illustrating. That's why we decided to create our very own DIY stylus for all of your DrawSomething needs. Don't consider it cheating, consider it a smart competitive advantage :)

All you need to create your own stylus is some conductive fiber thread (we re-used some extra we had after our Touchscreen Gloves tutorial), a Q-tip, and a piece of duct tape. The rest is super simple. Watch the video to learn how it's done and tweet us with any questions. 

Here's to being even more obsessed with DrawSomething.

We're not saying that this roundup of 12 gadgets and accessories will make laundry an exciting weekend adventure, but at least it'll be more colorful, efficient, and even a little bit fun.

1. Tree Clothesline: Truth be told, this super design-y tree shaped clothesline is what inspired today's post. Unlike most drying racks that you want to hide as soon as you're done using, this one could be easily incorporated into your decor. Head to the website to find out where you can buy near you. 

2. The Laundry Pod ($99): Yes, we've written about this gadget before, but it's so ridiculously convenient that we had to mention it again! It's a totally portable washing machine that washes about six garments at once. Perfect for city dwellers and camping fanatics, and would be an awesome in-hotel amenity.

3. Laundry Art: Nothing like a little laundry-themed art to make the process of washing, drying and folding a little more interesting. This set of wall decals ($35 on Etsy) is available in black, chocolate brown, light brown, white, dark blue, plum, maize and olive and measures to about 23 inches by 45 inches. 

4. Ruffle Laundry Bag ($39): Your bag of dirty laundry never looked so chic! We love this ruffly little number, and don't you kind of want to turn it into a skirt? ;) 

5. FlipFOLD Laundry Folder ($25): Want those shirts of yours as crisply folded as the ones at J. Crew? Satisfy your perfectionist sensibility with this shirt folder. And while you're at it, maybe you need the OCD Cutting Board? 

6. UnHampered (In Production): Good old Quirky. Our favorite place to turn to see what gadgets and tools are being invented as we speak. This foldable laundry basket does everything a regular basket can do (aka: carries your clothes) plus it's extremely compact and includes a side mesh pocket to hold all your soaps and softeners. This should be available for sale later this year. Stay tuned!

7. Nellie's Dryer Balls & Fragrance Stick Set ($25): Nellie's is all about "modern laundry breakthroughs with retro charm." These recyclable thermal plastic dryer balls freshen and soften your clothes, and are totally reusable. This kit includes 10 recyclable fragrance sticks in lavender. 

8. Gal Pal Deodorant Removers ($10): How frustrating is it when you've got all your makeup and hair done, and you finally slip on that perfect little black dress and all of a sudden, boom, deodorant marks? It's pretty much the worst. These darling sponges are specially designed to quickly and easily remove deodorant marks from clothing, without the use of cleaners or chemicals. 

9. FreshCloz Garment Deodorizer ($70): Got a whole slew of dry clean only clothes but can't stand another dry cleaning bill? Or maybe you just don't have time to drop off and pick up before tomorrow's big event? FreshCloz uses revolutionary ozonic technology to remove odors such as smoke, perfume, perspiration, and kills germs up to 97%. Simply unzip both FreshCloz sippers on the included garment bag, hang 2 light articles of clothing on hangers, place one scent deodorizer pouch onto a clothes hanger, zip up the garment bag, press the on button and allow 40 minutes to 60 minutes then remove clothing and you will be amazed how fresh your clothes will be. 

10. Sparrow Clothespins ($9): Cheer up those hang-to-dry garments by, drumroll please… putting a bird on it! 

11. Graphic Washing Bin ($26): If a laundry bag ain't your jam, and you don't have a laundry room stowed away, use this playful bag-meets-bucket to catch all those dirty clothes. 

12. The Ultimate Drying Rack: Officially called il Lenzuoliere, this multi-level drying rack is ready to take on all of your garments. Specifically designed to accommodate long, bulky linens such as sheets, tablecloths, towels, this rack can easily accommodate a full load of laundry. 

How do you make weekend chores a little more fun? And how's all that spring cleaning going? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter. 

Banana Biscoff Ice Cream (makes about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 medium bananas
- 1/2 cup Biscoff spread (aka Speculoos)
- Tools: blender

Start with 3 medium bananas and some Biscoff spread.

Place the bananas in the blender and pulse until the consistency of a milk shake.  

Add 1/2 cup of Biscoff spread to the bananas.

Blend until completely incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom as needed.

Eat immediately or place in the freezer until hardened, about 6 hours.  Enjoy!

For a twist, try replacing the Biscoff with Nutella, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter or Honey Walnut Butter. And stay tuned for more 2-ingredient ice cream hacks here on Brit! Got any sweet dessert shortcuts we should know about? Send recipe ideas our way by leaving a note in the comments below or finding us on Twitter.

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

Well the moment we've all been anxiously awaiting has finally arrived: Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Simply put, Adobe Creative Cloud puts all the power of Adobe's entire master collection on the cloud. Users can download Adobe CS6 apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, etc) from anywhere, can save work online (20 GB of cloud storage), and share projects way more easily. Creative Cloud subscriptions will start at $50 per month with a one-year commitment, and $75 per month if you prefer a month-to-month contract. If you've already got a version of the Adobe Creative Suite, the new cloud-based service is available for $30 per month for one year. 

Monthly pricing for Adobe Software has been a recent revolution in itself, and unveiling cloud accessibility positions Adobe firmly at the forefront of all forms of creative publishing.

Not only can you access all your apps and personal files from the cloud, but you can easily share with other members of whatever project you're working on. If you need to make updates to a heavily layered PSD from your phone, you can. No more compressing and archiving folders and uploading them to Dropbox at the end of the day. No more cursing yourself because you forgot to Dropbox the latest version of your wedding invite. 

As new creative apps are released, you will have instant access to them as part of your subscription. And you can rest assured that the most up-to-date version of whatever program you're using is ready and waiting for you on the cloud. 

Critics question the speed at which all of Adobe's apps will operate on the cloud, and wonder just how seamless it will be. We can't wait to try it out as soon as possible. We'll be sure to follow up with a full report. The level of freedom this might bring to the creative process is just too exciting!

What do you think of this latest release from Adobe? Will you sign up for a subscription? What other publishing software and apps do you use to create and share creative projects? Leave us a note in the comments below or voice your opinions over on Twitter.

Lollyphile: The first thing you need to know is that these lollies are all natural. The second thing is the ridiculous array of flavors they come in! Ones we just have to try are Maple Bacon, White Russian, and Lavender. Yum!

Ikea's HDTV System: That's right. Move over Sharp and Sony, the world's standard for sleek, simple, affordable design is rolling out their very own entertainment system. Check out the intriguing YouTube teaser here.

SnoBar: Light, fluffy, and the hottest thing to hit the frozen food market since Dippin Dots, SnoBar offers up a new type of dessert that's a combo of shaved ice and ice cream. Stay tuned for a DIY attempt at Brit HQ.

Zooey Deschanel + iPhone: Our favorite gorgeous geek Zooey Deschanel is bringing her adorableness to Apple. Siri has definitely met her new bestie.

Mount Fuji Tissue Holder: Why more snowcapped mountains haven't turned into tissue holders is beyond us. Another one ripe for a little DIY action. 

Bitboard: A pixelated cutting board you can totally design yourself? We're all over it. If only they shipped to the US! :( 

Hardcore Spaghetti Fork: In case twirling your fork is just too much work for you, use this ridiculous (but amazing) gadget for getting all those noodles. 

Dylan's Candy Bar Smelly Jelly Gel Pens: Candy and glitter in a pen? Pretty much our dream come true.

Twournal: Do you tell the Twitterverse your deepest secrets? Do you crave an analog version of your digital thoughts? The folks at Twournal are ready to make that happen. It's Twitter, in journal form. 

Chocolate iPhone: Ok, we know this is kind of a cop out but our Chocolate iPhone really is one of our favorite things this week. You know you want a piece. ;)

If you've come across bits of awesomeness on the web that we've just gotta check out, leave us a link in the comments below or on Twitter.

We think these necklaces would go swimmingly with a pair of Duct Tape Feather Earrings, a Chevron Braid, or as an accent piece with a couple Nautical T-Shirt Necklaces.

Materials
- nylon twine (the brighter the color, the better!)
- hex nuts (we used 5/16 inch and 1/4 inch ones)
- scissors
- tape

Your project begins at your local hardware store. In our case, we headed to Robert's on Haight Street. The nuts and bolts aisle is basically your new favorite bead store. Grab a handful of colorful nylon twine, and be on your way.

For our first necklace, we did a thick long yellow number. Start with 12 pieces of yellow string, about 5 feet long each. Tie them at the top and start braiding. When your braid reaches about 15 inches in length, it's time to start adding nuts. 

String them on one by one, after each braiding motion. For this necklace, we used 9 1/4 inch nuts.

Braid the rest of your necklace and tie off the second end. One side should be slightly longer than the other.

Tie this side around the other one to clasp your necklace.

Repeat with orange twine.

And white twine.

And for under 10 bucks, you've got three hot new pieces of neckwear!

This same method could be applied to bracelets, or even festival-ready headbands. 

So lovely!

Where are your favorite places to get creatively inspired? Do you have any sweet ideas for turning hardware into softwear? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Ingredients:
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt
- pinch of sugar (optional)

For the chicken:
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided use
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

For the grilled cheese:
- Tomato sauce
- Cooked chicken
- Fontina cheese
- Deli Rolls
- Butter
- Fresh Basil, ribboned

First, you’ll need a tomato sauce. If you’re in a pinch (or just really hungry), you can always use a good-quality jarred product, but making it at home is really easy. All you need to do is sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add the tomatoes, paste, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning (crush the dried herbs in your hand to release oils). Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove lid and simmer a bit longer to allow sauce to thicken. (Some people recommend removing the tomato skins first, but I don’t find it necessary). Season with salt and do a taste test. If it seems a little too sour, add a little sugar.

To make the chicken, pound a chicken breast to about ¼ inch thickness and cut into pieces that are similar to the bread or roll you are using. (I found that one large chicken breast produced enough for two sandwiches.) Season both sides with salt and pepper. 

To do the breading, you’ll need 3 shallow trays. In the first, combine flour and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. In the second, whisk egg and olive oil. In the third, combine bread crumbs, the other teaspoon of Italian seasoning and Parmesan. Dredge each piece in the flour, then the egg wash, then the breading and place on baking sheet lined with Parchment paper. (Alternatively, you could fry the chicken pieces, but baking is healthier). Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, turning once.  (Don’t overcook!)

From here…it’s just a matter of stacking and grilling! Butter each side of a deli roll, and stack with chicken, tomato sauce and cheese. Grill on medium-low heat until bread is toasty and cheese is melted. I like to wait until after grilling to add the fresh basil. Enjoy!!

Stay tuned for more magical ways to grill your cheese! And if you've got your own bag of grilled cheese tricks, leave us a note in the comments below.

Jaymee Sire is an Emmy-award winning sports reporter and anchor at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in San Francisco. During baseball season, she covers the San Francisco Giants for CSN, and often anchors the network's flagship show, SportsNet Central in the offseason. When she isn't covering a sporting event, her true passion is food...whether it's eating out or cooking at home. She writes a blog called E is for Eat, posting alphabet-themed recipes and restaurant reviews several times per week. She also contributes a weekly tailgate blog on csnbayarea.com called Authentic Eats.

Everyone who's ever furnished an apartment or home from scratch likely has a pretty serious love hate relationship with Ikea. The design is simple, sleek, and Swedish. The furniture is usually pretty easy to put together, but it doesn't always stay in one piece if you try to move it from room to room. And, everyone else has it. You can't really get away with a sneaky Ikea piece here or there, because your best friend's brother's girlfriend definitely already has it.

And so began the world of the Ikea Hack. Where we all accept our dependence on Ikea, and thrive on coming up with the most creative, colorful, inventive ways of tricking out the most standard living essentials around.

First up, 4 companies who've made it their business to provide creative tools for adding color and personality to a whole slew of Ikea items. 

Pretty Pegs: Described as shoes for your furniture and pictured at the beginning of this article, Prettypegs has created a line of playful and stylish customizable legs that fit just about any piece of Ikea furniture. Whether you're looking for something funky, modern, retro, or traditional, Prettypegs has got what you need. 

What colors would you choose for your living space? We love these wood-dipped pegs!

Bemz: Not your average set of slipcovers, the gorgeous Ikea frocks at Bemz will reinvigorate that old Ektorp armchair, Karlstad Sofa, or Nils dining chair. You wouldn't host a party without a touch of cover up, why should your furniture?

With over 180 classic and modern designs, you're sure to find the perfect fit for your living space. 

MyKea: Now that you've got your chairs and couches fully outfitted, what about all those shelves, cabinets, dressers, and tables? MyKea provides beautifully designed stickers or decals that affix oh-so-perfectly to your plain old Ikea pieces.

They have a huge range of design styles, for nature lovers, type nerds, romantics, and modernists. If they don't have stickers for your furniture on the site, send a furniture request!

O'verlays: Stickers not gonna cut it for your Ikea revamp? If you're looking for more hardware, O'verlays is just what the doctor ordered. They've created a collection of light decorative framework panels available in several patterns and sizes perfect for your boring old drawers and cupboards. 

You can even buy them for non-Ikea furniture, tabletops with glass over them, windows, etc. 

And then, we've got the incredibly creative community of crafty Ikea hackers. In fact, Ikea Hackers have their own official website! Here are a few of our favorite furniture hacks from around the web. 

Ikea Cart Re-Make: Love this vintage-ified kitchen cart. Might need to whip up a few of these for an on-the-go Brit Kitchen!

Chalkboard Bookshelf: For a little creative storage, take 3 Ikea Expedit bookshelves (we all know them too well), turn one into a chalkboard, and turn it to the side!

Mandal Headboard Hack: Need a multifunctional headboard that doesn't mess up your walls? People have been tearing it up (or, not tearing it up) with this Mandal Headboard. We love the bookshelves, clip lamps, and art-hanging possibilities.

Library Drawers: Another great example of turning your birch-veneered Ikea pieces into antique-looking awesomeness. 

Ikea Hack Table Vase: A mason jar IN a table? Clearly this is right up our alley. In fact, this could be a pretty sweet way to hack a few custom tables for your wedding!

Two Ikea-tastic things to stay tuned for? A roundup of Ikea Lighting Hacks (swooning over the Frack Hack above) and Alexander McQueen Pretty Pegs!!

How do you get creative with your Ikea essentials? We'd love to see photos of your hacks. Share them with us on Twitter and we'll post the best ones on our blog. And if you've got a piece of Ikea furniture you're dying to update, let us know via AskBrit. 

It's no secret that we love adding color to anything and everything, and our clothes are no exception. We've color blocked our heels, our jeans, and ombre'd our nails, and today we're pumped to introduce DIY Ombre Tights. Best of all, this project takes under 30 minutes with just a few simple materials!

Materials:
- white tights (tights, not hose!)
- Jacquard acid dye|
- rubber gloves
- permanent dyeset concentrate
- large pot (cannot be used for food after)
- ladle (cannot be used for food after)
- bucket or plastic container for cold water

Fill your pot about halfway with water. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes. 

Add about half a teaspoon of acid dye. We used a popsicle stick and eyeballed it. Add it to the water and let heat for 2 minutes.

1. While it's heating up, pre-soak your tights in cold water. Squeeze out excess water gently.

2. Turn off the heat, and dip your tights all the way in the pot. Be sure to squeeze and dip again a few times so you eliminate any air bubbles or spots where the dye might not get to.

3. Take them out and dip in cold water bath. Ring out and set aside. Now, heat up another 2 "scoops" of dye.

4. Turn off the heat, and dip your tights almost all the way in. Leave about 8 inches out of the pot to maintain the lightest hue in your ombre gradient. Repeat the cold water bath step, but leave the light part of the tights out of the bath.

5. For the last step, dump the rest of your dye in the pot and heat up. Turn off the heat, and dip, leaving about 18 inches out of the pot. 

6. Pull out an additional 8 inches or so, and let the rest of the tights stew in the pot for about 10 minutes to get a super dark end hue.

7. Now, rinse the whole pair of tights in the cold water bath, wring out all the excess dye.

8. Soak in the permanent dyeset and hang to dry. We rigged up a clothesline with two adhesive hooks, string and clothespins over the tub.

Then grab a friend with purple ombre tights to match, and get silly on the roof. With the brisk air in San Francisco, these tights couldn't be more perfect for springtime!

If you're not feeling the DIY action for this one, but have to have Ombre Tights, check out Etsy Seller BZRshop who largely inspired today's DIY project! Thanks to Brit Style Contributor Courtney at Tydepool for the hot tip. And special thanks to Jacob over at Threadflip for stepping in as roof photographer extraordinaire!

Do you love your iPhone so much that sometimes you just want to eat it right up? No? Ok, but how sweet (get it?) would it be to have a carbon copy of your darling phone in chocolate form?

We happened to have a couple extra silicone iPhone cases around from our DIY iPhone case project and got to thinking, aside from protective casing and Real Housewives, what is silicone perfect for? Candy molds, of course!

Ingredients:
- black and white chocolate melts
- silicone iPhone case
- Airheads (variety pack)
- aluminum foil
- vegetable oil or Crisco

To prep your iPhone case, wash it thoroughly and create an aluminum foil shell around the outside. 

To melt our chocolate, we employed our trusty double boil method. Fill a medium size pot with a few inches of water. Place a smaller pot inside of it with about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Melt the chocolate in the small pot. This ensures the chocolate doesn't burn or get too hot too quickly.

Now, pour your mold!

Then place in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Peel the silicone off gently and your new chocolate iPhone should pop right out.

Since you're using a mold that represents the back of your iPhone, you'll have to do a little trimming after you've popped it out. We cut off the camera hole and power button.

Now, time to make some apps! Airheads happen to double as the homemaking hacker's fondant, and the variety pack has a solid array of colors.

Use a knife or scissors to cut your Airheads into little apps. Play with details as time permits.

Since we can't live without our text messages, calendar, weather, Twitter, Facebook, phone, music, and Path, we made those ones! 

And there you are! 

We recommend tricking a friend by gifting them a Chocolate iPhone in an old iPhone box. ;)

Hello? 

Oh hi! 

We don't recommend storing these darlings in your pocket.

Time to charge up.

We are having too much fun with our Chocolate iPhones!

Now that's our kind of chocolate covered Apple! And yes, they taste totally delicious!

You really can have all the apps in the world in the palm of your hand. Har har. ;) 

We can't stress enough that this is one of the simplest and most fun culinary hacks we've ever created. If you give it a try, we'd love to see photos. Send a note to hello@hellobrit.com or share photos via Twitter or Facebook. 

Coming up with new ways to display food is certainly a challenge, but coming up with new foods to pair together in a recipe is a whole beast of its own. While ice cream and caviar might sound absolutely atrocious, chicken and waffles has made it onto menus across the world and in food trucks all over the nation. Who would have thought such a combination would ever exist (and be so tasty)?

So, how do you know when two tastes will pair well together? You could obviously cook a lot and rely on your killer tastebuds; even easier, however, you could turn to Foodpairing, a website with food pairing data that has been studied and analyzed by scientists in order to help both amateur and professional chefs create innovative recipes. It is based on the principal that foods can be combined when they share major flavor components.

The site lets you do two different things. First, you can browse creative recipes inspiring you to create non-traditional food pairings, like this almond cookie topped with mozzarella, fig and dry-cured ham. 

Or these potato chips with cream of Brie and vanilla (editor's note: holy cow!).

You can also use the site to browse a "Foodpairing tree," an interactive visualization for which ingredients work well together. The closer two ingredients are together, the better the pairing. The chart below for "Cucumber" explains why I see so many cocktail menus featuring whiskey and cucumber concoctions. And, how delicious does a cucumber and strawberry gazpacho sound?

We just might have to use this app for some of our future food dishes -- it could make for a great resource as we strive to add on to our 12 Ways to Grill Your Cheese ideas.

The website offers both a free and paid version. Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or finding us on Twitter. We'd love to hear about any interesting flavor combinations you decide to try!

Similar to sites like Nike ID and Shoes of Prey that let you customize each aspect of your dream shoes, Kees' online design builder lets you choose bumper style, two layers of illustration, color, and you can even add text to the side!

First, the bumper. Normally we like something minimal, but for this we wanted to be able to add text so we chose the Closed option.

Then, for our first layer, we chose Sparkly for obvious reasons.

Then, a lightning bolt!

As far as material goes, for white, black, gray, red, and navy blue, cases are $50 a pop. If you're like us and need your neon fix anywhere you can get it, pay an extra $62.50 for Penelope Pink or Bombastic Blue. 

And, of course, we couldn't resist adding Brit's Twitter handle to the side.

We'd love to see screen shots of your ideal Kees case. Share your pics with us on Twitter or Facebook and we'll share our favorites on our blog.

But, partying with paper doesn't end there. When it comes to creative decoration, paper is one of the most versatile, affordable, easy-to-use materials to use and lends itself to some pretty powerful personalization. So, without further ado, we bring you 15 creative ways to use paper at your wedding, beyond the invite.

1. Ceremony Backdrop: Get married under a canopy of paper! Bring in tons of color and textures by crafting all types of pinwheels, flowers, fans and kites. Just attach to chicken wire and tie it with wire to an existing arch or structure. (Photo: Ashley Rose Photography)

2. Paper Vases (Left): Give your centerpieces a makeover by simply wrapping vases in your favorite paper! Or use a paper towel roll and paint it and hide a bud vase inside. So cheap and custom! Honey and Poppies, photo credit: YWD magazine

3. Decorative Paper in Your Centerpieces (Right): Add some spunk to your flowers by incorporating a paper element into your centerpieces. Cut out maps in the shape of a heart, or any shape that is in line with your event concept. It adds dimension and gives you more color options that might not be available through flowers. (Photo: Closer to Love Photography)

4. Nostalgic Name Tags: Use old school sticker name tags to guide your guests to their seats. Super easy and cheap, and fun because you get to use your own personal handwriting! (Photo: Jagger Photography)

5. Airplane Programs: Speaking of old school throwbacks, let's get back in touch with paper airplanes. Take any type of ceremony program and fold it into an airplane. Or try a simple Origami creature. (Photo: Jagger Photography)

6. Paper Table Runner (Left): For a less expensive and more interesting table runner, use your favorite kind of paper. A flight plan, blueprint, music sheets or maps are a great alternative to a fabric runner. It also gives you so much more freedom to play with colors and patterns! (Photo: Jon Paul Douglass) 

7. Confetti Table Runner (Right): Confetti makes everything better. Sprinkle paper confetti in all shapes, sizes and colors to spruce up a bland tablescape. (Photo: Gem Photo)

8. Ceiling Installation: Spice up any space by adding some major paper craftiness in the ceiling. Cut up fun colored paper in any shape that you love, glue them to twine or string, and hang above for an overhead wow factor. (Photo: David Stubbs)

9. Guest Book Haikus: Want to put your guests to the creative test? Ask for guest book entries in the form of haiku. Nothing beats that old 5-7-5 structure. (Photo: Mr. Haack) 

10. Party Hats (Left): Party hats are always a WIN. Bring them back by adding them to the décor of your wedding! As the night goes on, guests will celebrate by getting silly and fun!  Check out this awesome tutorial to DIY here, or check out Joyful Joyful on Etsy to get them custom made! (Photo: Gabriel Ryan) 

11. Paper Cake Topper (Right): Cut out a personalized illustration and stick it right into the top of your cake for a super affordable and personalized cake topper. This Etsy seller does amazing illustrations! (Photo: Braedon Flynn)

12. Paper Boutonnieres: Add a pop of interest to your traditional boutonniere by adding a bit of paper behind the flower. Use a map of a place you and your fiancé met to make it even more personal. If you're not up for the DIY, check out Marija on Etsy. (Photo: Ashley Rose Photography)

13. Dessert Table Backdrop: Using paper to create a backdrop for any part of your wedding is not only affordable, but extremely versatile. The sky is the limit!  Make paper flowers and attach them to fabric or use books and pages from books, glue them to a sheet of OSB board 4ft x 8ft and hang from behind the table or simply set it on top. You can use paper and chicken wire to create words too, by rolling up a sheet of paper and sticking it through the holes in the wire. So fun! (Top photo: Mr. Haack, Bottom photo: Focus Photography)

14. Appetizer Picks: Customize your food and tie in your event's design by adding some paper to your appetizer sticks. Just browse the scrapbooking aisle of your favorite craft store, and pick out whatever scrapbook adornments you love the most. Glue them to a toothpick and you have instant interest added to your food spread! (Photo: Gabriel Ryan Photography)

15. Fortune Cookie Favors: Give your guests a fun thank you note in a paper fortune cookie. Use the “fortune” to convey your thankful message. Create them in your colors or make them ombre to add more dimension and a beautiful spread on any table! And check out the simple DIY here. (Photo: Mark Brooke)

Got any creative ideas for using paper as decor at your wedding? Looking for more ideas? Give us a shout in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Surely as you've perused your favorite online shops or window shopped around town you've seen tops with lace trim or the entire side or back cut out with only a lace filler. But what about all those lonely lace-less tops in your summer drawer? Today, we'll show you two different ways to transform your tank tops into cute, trendy pieces for the summer months to come!

Materials:
- tank tops - you can use any tanks from last summer you'd like to spice up however, I bought a men's pack of Fruit of the Loom undershirts for this project which cost me a grand total of $10 for 3 shirts. Not a bad deal!

- lace - any patterns and/or colors you want. 
- washable fabric glue 
- scissors 

Tank 1: Lace Back

For this look, first decide how large you want your cut-out to be. Put the tank top on and eye-ball where you want to cut it (tip: always cut less and try it on again to avoid making the hole too large). When you are ready to cut you do so any way you feel comfortable. I folded the tank in half, like you would in grade school when making a snow flake, to ensure both sides are even but if you feel more comfortable marking a circle lightly with chalk before you cut feel free to do so. 

Now, you should have a hole in your shirt, but before you throw away the circle fabric you just cut away from your top use it as a pattern to cut your lace. You don't have to be exact or even perfect when cutting the lace since it will be on the inside of the tank top and no one will see the edges. All you must do it make sure the lace circle you cut is just about an inch larger in circumference as the circle from your tank. Refer to the picture below. 

Turn your tank top inside out, lay it flat on the floor and put a thin line of glue all the way around the circle you just created.

Carefully place your lace over top and press lightly. Don't be scared to get a little glue on your fingers, you really need to get in there and make sure the glue adheres nicely to the lace. 

Pair with a glitzy gold wrap belt and head out on the town! 

Tank 2: Side Panels

This one is a personal favorite of mine! To get started on this top pinch the sides together, as shown in the picture above, and cut a small half inch sliver all the way down the tank. (Tip: my tank is ribbed therefore making it easy to follow a straight line. If you are cutting an un-ribbed cotton top you should use a ruler and lightly pencil a straight line all the way down and pin the 2 sides together so they don't move.) 

Repeat the same cutting action on the other side.

Now, turn inside out, lay flat and again put a thin line of glue around the area you cut. Carefully place your lace panel onto the glue and press lightly to ensure the glue is nicely adhered. Repeat on the other side. 

Once the glue dries on both tanks, they are ready to be shown off! Lacy, flirty, and just the right amount of scandalous. ;)

If you give this a try at home, we'd love to see pics! Tweet them our way to @brit or send a note to hello@hellobrit.com.

Chelsa Skees, currently working as a freelance fashion stylist, has an ever-changing sense of fashion deriving from her decade long experience in the fashion and beauty industry.  She lives in the East Village of New York City and is constantly reinventing her style based on her love of fashion, beauty, travel and all things digital. Her favorite color is grey and she can beat just about anyone in a bubble blowing contest. You can find her on Twitter or her website. 

In thinking about cakes last week, we got to thinking about cupcakes, cake pops and pancakes. So, we decided to revisit our Christmas Cookie Cutter Cakes with a creative, colorful, dessert-friendly twist.

Ingredients:
- food coloring
- all purpose baking mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- star cookie cutter

Mix up your batter, as directed. 

Separate into bowls or tupperware containers, and mix in each color.

Heat up a skillet or griddle so it's pancake-ready. 

Get your metal cookie cutter ready by rubbing a bit of cooking oil on the inside edges. 

Place your oiled cookie cutter in the pan, and pour in a couple spoonfuls of batter. You don't want it filled all the way, since the batter will rise naturally. Flip it as carefully as you can to heat the other side. Some may spill out, but that's alright. Be sure to cut it away with a spatula and set aside, discard, or snack. ;)

Once both sides are cooked, remove the cookie cutter from your skillet and let cool for 2 minutes. Gently use your pointer finger to press the cake out of the cutter.

Repeat until you're finished with your batter, and stack! If you're serving these for breakfast, they actually make great finger food without any syrup. 

For a more decadent breakfast or for dessert, serve topped with whipped cream and the most colorful sprinkles you can find.

How do you add color to your breakfast? Send recipe ideas our way in the comments below and we'll give 'em a try!

Mint: At the top of our list is Mint, possibly the best and most user-friendly way to manage personal finance around. Like the website, the mobile version of Mint connects securely to your bank accounts to track and categorize purchases and expenditures, making it easy for you to budget on-the-go. Plus, you can manually enter pending and cash transactions as they happen, so your accounts are always totally up-to-date. 

Balance: If you want a more bare bones approach to monitoring your cash-flow, try Balance. Functionally and visually, this app is similar to the paper checkbook register that accompanies all those boxes of checks you get every so often. The value in this is the idea that the exercise of manually entering in every expenditure will help you become more aware of where your money goes. 

Expensify: How often have you skipped submitting an expense report simply because you were too busy? It happens to the best of us, and this app makes collecting and organizing business-related expenses so much easier! Once you set up your account and sync it with your various credit cards and bank accounts, you can easily sort all of your expenses by category. And what about all those receipts? Snap a pic on your phone, upload to Expensify, and toss that paper receipt away. Submit reports from your phone, and get reimbursed online. It's that simple. 

PayPal: Good old PayPal. Still one of these easiest way to send and receive money online, the mobile app makes it that much easier. Whether you're collecting funds for a group gift, receiving payments, or sending money, this app lets you do it all instantly and easily. The app even has a "split bill" feature convenient when dining out with a group. 

Venmo: Like PayPal, Venmo makes is super easy to pay your friends on the move. The service is fast, convenient, and fun to use. On the app, you can keep track of all your payments and can either keep a balance in Venmo or "cash out" by linking your bank account. What sets Venmo apart is the social aspect. They invite people to leave personal notes and comments with every payment made, so you can remember all those drinks spilled, tickets purchased, and laughs had.

Square: Or perhaps you're a vendor who needs an easy way to accept credit cards no matter where you are? Boom. Square! Available on iPhone and Android, Square comes with a handy dandy card reader making credit card payments extremely simple. It links directly to your phone, where people can use the touchscreen to sign. All payments are easy to track on the app, and without a wasteful paper trail. You're charged 2.75% for every credit card swipe (no matter what card), and deposits show up in your bank account the very next day. 

BillTracker: Stop forgetting those bills! With phone bills, water bills, gas bills, electric bills, gym dues, etc, it's hard to keep track of all those dates and all that money owed. BillTracker keeps all of that information in on place, and allows you to set up reminders so that your phone will alert you when a payment is coming up. You can set up recurring bills, view bill history, and make sure you never get charged a late fee again!

Mobile Banking Apps: Most banks now offer mobile apps, making it easy to check balances, transfer funds, and pay bills from just about anywhere. For us, the most convenient feature of these apps is being able to find the nearest ATM wherever you are. Chase's mobile app even lets you snap photos of checks with your camera phone and deposit them right then and there. Banks with mobile apps include Bank of America, Chase, Capital One, USAA, and Citibank. 

LearnVest: Not a mobile app, but an online tool for making informed financial decisions, LearnVest is sort of like Mint plus a whole lot of interesting finance-related content specifically geared towards women. They've assembled a team of experts who provide daily advice, tips, and market analysis on a daily basis. Plus, like Mint, you can view all of your accounts in one place, create a personalized budget, and track progress against your budgeting goals with ease. 

What tools do you use to keep track of your expenses? Know of any up-and-coming finance apps we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below. And let's hope these apps help make Tax Day 2013 a walk in the park! :) 

1. Moving Color Color-Changing Tiles: First, let's set the scene with a little more color. Time to retile the bathroom? Or perhaps just a few tiles need an update? Bring some grade school style science into your bathroom with these insanely awesome color-changing tiles. We'd love to update our kitchen with these as well!

2. Color Changing Showerhead Rainbow LED Shower Head ($29): Perhaps color-changing tiles in the tub and a rainbow maker in the living room isn't quite enough color for you? Well, we're pleased to welcome you to the world of color changing LED shower heads. This one is the most standard of the bunch, and installation couldn't be easier. Just replace your current shower head, and your morning routine just got a little more disco.

3. Magic Showerhead 7 LED ($56): Next on the LED shower head train is the Magic Showerhead. Like the one above, this is easy to install and features seven different colors. What makes it magic is that MagicFlow Technology which makes sure water consumption does not exceed 2.5 gallons/min at 80psi. So, not only is it party time in your bathroom, but it's green! 

4. 24 Inch Stainless Steel Color-Changing Shower Head ($390): And finally, we bring out the big guns. This gorgeous rainfall shower head is no joke. If you're looking to seriously upgrade your shower, look no further.

5. Shower Squid Octopus Caddy ($33): Now, how do you keep your shower essentials organized? This playful squid features eight adjustable grippy arms that keep all your necessities right where you need them. You can even store your shampoo bottles upside down so you can squeeze out the very last drops!

6. Shower Station Modular Shower Caddy ($70): Or, get a little more modular with it. This Shower Station consists of a rust-roof metal frame and four detachable shelves designed to hold any size bottle or bar soap. Each shelf is equipped with a removable silicone insert with perforations to securely hold toothbrushes, razors, combs, etc. This item, brought to you by Quirky, ship the first week of May.

7. Utility Shower Curtain ($40): Made by our favorite pocket people, Wintercheck, this shower curtain is equipped to carry everything you might need. On the inside, we've got self-draining bottle storage pouches along with razor and toothbrush loops. On the outside, you've got two twelve-inch towel loops. No more towels over every door in your house!

8. DIY Shower Curtain ($33): A product with DIY right in the title is certainly up our alley, and this shower curtain is definitely one to bookmark. The kit comes with a permanent black marker to Draw-It-Yourself. The curtain is made of a recyclable vinyl alternative that won't off-gas in your home, and breathes making it less likely to grow mold and mildew. We love the idea of drawing on this and giving it as a gift!

9. Aqua Notes Waterproof Notepad ($14): How often do you have epiphanic brilliant moments in the shower? If you're like us, the answer is ALL the time! Record those awesome ideas with this waterproof notepad. We're not sure exactly how it works, but we'll take it!

10. Portable Water Resistant Drop Speaker ($60): What would a morning routine be without a little rock-out? Belt out your favorite wake-up tunes right in the shower with this whimsical water drop speaker. Your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player sits snugly inside the drop where it's protected. This would also be great for a day at the beach, camping with a slight chance of rain, or even in the snow!

And, of course, we couldn't resist including a handful of ridiculous bonus items as well.

Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap ($7): We featured this a while back in our roundup of 7 Oddly Caffeinated Products, but this bar of soap's gadgetry deserves a place here as well. Wake up before you've even had your first cup of joe. Using natural ingredients including peppermint oil and caffeine anhydrous, each bar of Shower Shock contains approximately 12 servings (servings = showers) per 4 oz bar, with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving. Kind of crazy, right?

Social Shower Curtain ($14): We know Facebook is part of everyone's morning routine, but this shower curtain takes your love of social media to the next level. Plus, it "features various bathroom themed puns and jokes." Win. We're anxiously waiting for the Timeline edition to show up.

Horizontal Shower Concept: Ok, this looks awesome but also insane. Not totally sure how one gets clean while lying down, but we're intrigued. The description references the "Ambiance Tuning Technique" which allows the user to decide between Balancing, Energizing, and/or De-Stressing shower flow. 

How do you spice up your shower routine? Got an ingenious DIY for keeping all those shower necessities in check? Leave us a note in the comments below. 

What if that experience could be replicated online? That was the issue that entrepreneur Manik Singh asked when he first came up with the idea for his new company, Threadflip, a site that lets you shop others' closets online.

I've been using Threadflip for months now (full disclosure: I'm an advisor to the company) and can tell you first-hand that it's truly awesome for both getting rid of stuff you no longer want, while also finding some new high-quality threads. Check out these never-been-worn boots I just snagged last week!

So, how does it work? With just a few clicks, you can upload images of clothing straight from your closet -- or more simply, import photos of yourself already wearing the clothing you want to sell in any of your Facebook pics -- and then mark it for sale on the site. The best part? If you are too busy to upload these images (which, let's face it, we all are), you can take part in the company's White Glove Service, which will let you send in your clothing so that Threadflip can do it for you. Amazing.

"Um, but Brit, isn't this what eBay and Etsy already do?" Good question, and my answer is: yes and no. Threadflip has several differentiators that make it unique. First, they make it incredibly easy to upload images of stuff from your closet (see paragraph above). Second, the site is well-curated and features higher-end clothing and brands. You'll even see some really well-made vintage and handmade gear from popular boutiques. Third, the site is built on top of Facebook, making it really easy to shop your friends' closets as well as browse based on your interests and style preferences. Finally, you can store your credits on the site, so that if you sell enough of your own stuff, you never have to shell out any dough for new clothes you want -- it really does compare to a clothing swap in that way.

Get started by uploading some clothing of your own. Need inspiration? Check out my personal Threadflip picks or shop my closet. 

Leave a comment below or find me on Twitter if you have any questions about how the service works. It's time to flip!

1. Fried Chicken & Waffle Grilled Cheese: Who says grilled cheese has to be limited to lunch or dinner? Check out this twist on a breakfast favorite. (Recipe and photo: Tastespotting Blog) 

2. Grilled Mac & Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork: A comfort food trifecta: mac 'n cheese, grilled cheese, and BBQ Pork. Yes please! (Recipe and photo: Panini Happy) 

3. Pizza Grilled Cheese: It's a pizza pie! It's grilled cheese! It's both! (Recipe and photo: Forkful of Comfort) 

4. Green Bean Casserole Grilled Cheese Sliders: Your favorite Thanksgiving side dish takes on grilled cheese form with the help of some mushroom brie and fried shallots. (Recipe and photo: e is for eat) 

5. Taco Grilled Cheese: Make a run for the border with this Mexican-inspired cheesy sandwich. (Recipe and photo: BlogChef.net) 

6. Baked Potato Grilled Cheese: How about serving your steak with a side of baked potato grilled cheese? (Recipe and photo: BS in the Kitchen) 

7. Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese: For your next football party, serve this spicy and tangy grilled cheese instead of traditional hot wings. (Recipe and photo: Tracy's Culinary Adventures) 

8. Caprese Salad Grilled Cheese: We already know grilled cheese and tomatoes make a perfect pair... how about combining it with another cheese & tomato favorite: Caprese salad? (Recipe and photo: Yammie's Noshery) 

9. Corned Beef Grilled Cheese with Guinness Caramelized Onions: Using beer in food recipes is nothing new on Brit. This one would be perfect for St. Paddy's Day! (Recipe and photo: Closet Cooking) 

10. Broccoli & Cheddar Soup Grilled Cheese: Eat your veggies! Trick your kids into eating broccoli by hiding it in a grilled cheese sandwich. (Recipe and photo: From Away) 

11. Apple Cinnamon Swirl Grilled Cheese: Complete your grilled cheese meal with grilled cheese dessert! Apple cinnamon and cheddar cheese achieves the sweet and savory combo. (Recipe and photo: Closet Cooking) 

12. Goat Cheese & Nutella Grilled Cheese: If that's not enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, how about combining nutella and goat cheese? Sliced bananas and strawberries would be a tasty addition as well. Drool. (Recipe and photo: Very Culinary) 

What are your favorite unconventional grilled cheese combinations? We'd love to try them out. Leave a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Jaymee Sire is an Emmy-award winning sports reporter and anchor at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in San Francisco. During baseball season, she covers the San Francisco Giants for CSN, and often anchors the network's flagship show, SportsNet Central in the offseason. When she isn't covering a sporting event, her true passion is food...whether it's eating out or cooking at home. She writes a blog called E is for Eat, posting alphabet-themed recipes and restaurant reviews several times per week. She also contributes a weekly tailgate blog on csnbayarea.com called Authentic Eats.

Whenever they post images of their daily outfit ideas, most fashion blogs and editorial sites feature a "get the look" list to accompany it. This is obviously great for anyone inspired by the products featured in the post, but there hasn't ever been a way to browse all of these lists from all of the best fashion sites at once.

Until now.

Enter Kaleidoscope, a new app for iPhone and Android that lets you shop "the look" from a curated set of fashion tastemakers' wardrobes. In it's simplest form, it's like Pinterest meets ShopStyle…which, in our opinion, is quite a fabulous combination of websites.

The app itself is quite simple. There is a never-ending feed of photos from sites like Lookbook.nu as well as original photography from places like Fashion Week. The company has even partnered with Details magazine to add a feed of photos from this weekend's Coachella festival.

If you see a look or product that inspires you, you can simply click on the photo and shop for similar products from across the web. The app crawls sites like Asos, The Outnet, Net-a-porter, Shopbop, and many more each day and pulls in items that match the featured outfits.

The one obvious thing missing from this app? The ability for everyday users to upload their own outfit photos. A representative from Kaleidoscope told me that they are working to roll out a feature like this, first to fashion bloggers. We're crossing our fingers we get to be included in the beta list!

Care to check it out yourself? Download the app and let us know what you think!

What types of objects would you paint with this clear dry erase paint? Leave us a comment below or find us on Twitter. (Bonus if you send pics!)

Note: I was not compensated in any way by Whitey Board for the making of this video. It's just an awesome product I thought you should know about :)

The best thing about an infamously unlucky day such as this is that it gives us reason to bust out some of our favorite spooky kitchen essentials that simply can't wait for Halloween. Naturally, we've rounded up  a lucky 13. ;)

1. Newlydeads Bride and Groom Salt & Pepper Shakers ($15): You know we love weddings here at Brit, and the seasonings section is no exception, even if you look like the couple from Beetlejuice.

2. The 7 Deadly Sins Glasses - Set of 7 ($72): When it comes to boozing, all 7 deadly sins apply.

3. Skeleton Apron ($24): It's Donnie Darko meets Suzy Homemaker in one lime green bit of kitchen chic.

4. Butcher's Bloody Grilling Apron ($18): This is legitimately scary. If you're feeling butcher-y, DIY this one with a plain white apron and red paint. 

5. Husband Chopping Block ($16): How often does your hubby feel like he's on the chopping block? ;) 

6. Vampire Cupcake Wrappers ($3): Nothing like imagining a blood-curdling scream to go along with your cupcake, is there? We'll be sporting these at the next (and last!) Twilight installment. 

7. Gingerdead Man Cookie Cutter ($7): Dead cookie walking. 

8. Cold Blooded Ice Cube Tray ($8): Creep your friends out next time you whip up a cranberry based punch by throwing a few toothy ice cubes in the mix.

9. Bone Bottle Opener ($16): Sticks and stones may break my bones but beer will never hurt me. Right? 

10. Zombie Brain Gelatin Mold ($7): "There's always room for... brains!"

11. Zombie Cupcake Cookbook ($16): How many times have you exclaimed, "A Zombie Ate My Cupcake"? This playful collection of recipes includes 25 ways to creep out your guests by way of sugar. Care for a Marzipan Beetle, anyone? 

12. NomSkulls Cupcake Mold ($10): Have your brains, and eat them too. Get really heady and throw some Tie Dye frosting on these cakes. Yum.

13. Friday the 13th Shot Glass ($5): And finally, a classic Friday the 13th shot glass featuring none other than Jason. 

How do you channel your inner Jason, Freddy Krueger, or guy with the Scream Mask on Friday the 13th? Already planning your Halloween costume? Send spooky ideas our way on Twitter, or by leaving a note in the comments below.

Made from maple, mahogany and walnut by Charles Lushear of BohoWorkbench.com, this table fully functions as a Nintendo NES controller, primed and ready for days upon days of Mario Kart, Street Fighter, and Zelda. There is a retractable cord underneath for hooking up to your Nintendo, and can be made USB-capable if requested. It'll set you back a cool $3,500 but the combination of personal joy and nerd street cred is pretty priceless.

Since you won't always want to be gaming, it comes with a solid glass top complemented by mid century modern legs, giving it the essence of Geek Chic. We can't help but wonder what other awesome controllers, remotes, and gadgets could be turned into fully functional pieces of furniture. 

If you're looking for the ultimate gift for your favorite child of the 80s or 90s, your search is over. And if you can't fork over the $3,500, head over to Dude I Want That for a sweet giveaway!

What were your favorite Nintendo games as a kid? Got any ideas for other pieces of gamery that could turn into furniture? Leave us a note in the comments below. 

First, how does it work? The Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails, and messages. No more carrying your phone awkwardly everywhere you go (especially if you're a gal without pockets who doesn't feel like carrying a purse), and you can forget about being the rude dude who keeps his phone on the dinner table.

Plus, the display is made using electronic paper (similar to the Amazon Kindle) so it's totally readable in bright light, and avoids that piercing screen feeling you can get from looking at your phone too much. And if you do need to view it in low light, simply press the backlight just like a regular old digital watch!

Next, Pebble's got a whole host of apps. If you're a cyclist or runner, you can use Pebble to access the GPS on your phone to display speed, distance and pace date. 

If you use your phone for music around the house, use the Pebble as a wrist-size remote control and skip over those Celine Dion tracks that always tend to show up when you choose Shuffle All. 

And the Pebble is beautiful. With tons of digital watchfaces, the Pebble can be easily customized to your personality, mood, outfit, etc. It currently comes in Arctic White, Jet Black, and Cherry Red, and is compatible with any 22mm watch band. Its internal battery lasts up to 7 days, and it charges via USB on any computer. 

So what are you waiting for? Go to the Kickstarter page and help make the Pebble a reality (and get a Pebble in the process)! What other apps would you like to see on this innovative watch? Send us your thoughts on Twitter.

Today is National Grilled Cheese Day! And, as it turns out, April is National Grilled Cheese MONTH! A whole month devoted to the best comfort food around? Yes please. Pair a triangle of grilled cheese with tomato, and you're happy as a clam. But what about getting a little more playful with how you serve the nation's most adored culinary couple?

Ingredients:
- bread (multigrain and white)
- cheese (provolone and cheddar)
- cherry or heirloom tomatoes
- tomato soup
- basil

First up, Grilled Cheese Kebabs.

Grill up your grilled cheese in a skillet or panini maker. If using a mild cheese like provolone, we recommend a sprinkle of salt and pepper on the top layer of cheese.  We recommend charring your grilled cheese a little bit to give it a smoky flavor. 

Cut up your grilled cheese into about 1 1/2 inch squares. Skewer it up with heirloom tomatoes and basil and you're done.

Next, Grilled Cheese Hearts & Tomato Soup.

We always recommend cooking tomato soup from scratch but, if you're in a pinch, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both have awesome ready-made soups in the grab-and-go section.

The twist here is simply a novelty cutter. We used white bread and cheddar for this to keep it as classic as possible.  Once your sandwich is grilled, use this adorable heart-shaped sandwich cutter to make your hearts.

Cut a little notch at the bottom of each, place on a bowl of soup and serve.

Last, Grilled Cheese Croutons and Tomatoes on Mixed Greens.

This is what we'll call the "healthy" route. Grilled up your grilled cheese. Once it's done, chop it up into crouton size pieces. 

Mix up a plate of greens and tomatoes and top with grilled cheese croutons. Delicious!

Best of all, these three dishes are different enough that you might find yourself throwing a grilled cheese and tomato-themed party!

How do you get playful with grilled cheese and tomato? Perhaps a grilled cheese stuffed tomato? Or grilled cheese tomato pops? We'd love to try out your recipes. Leave us a note (and link!) in the comments below or find us on Twitter. Happy Grilled Cheese Day!

Developed by Proteus BioMed and debuting this September in the U.K., these "ingestible event monitors" (IEM) are harmless sugar pills with a microchip implanted inside taken at the same time as your daily medication. The tools involved are an adhesive sensor patch, software for your smartphone, and the pill. 

Once the pill is in your system, your stomach acids send a low-power electrical signal to the adhesive sensor patch placed on your body. The patch records the date and time you took the pill, and adds in helpful additional data such as heart rate, physical activity, and respiratory rate. Then, if you forget your pill, your phone will text you (and your doc) to remind you to take it. Once you've taken it, the alert will go away and it's smooth sailing for the rest of the day.

In addition to monitoring how often you take medication, the chip will give your doctor immediate feedback on how a specific drug is performing and how your body is reacting to that drug. No more waiting to "see what happens" for longer than absolutely necessary when you try out new medications.

Even if you aren't forgetful, the idea that you can monitor what's going on inside your body through your phone is pretty amazing. Each day, the IEM chip will generate personal health care stats, allowing you to run basic analytics through your smartphone. 

Combine this with the Nike Fuel Band and you just might be able to manage your entire body through your phone. Kind of crazy, right?

Critics of such technology worry that turning your doctor into a Big Brother character will cause discord among patients. There's also the thought that such a chip could be hacked into by people other than doctors, who would potentially be able to track your location and really get Big Brother-y in your grill. Proteus assures the medical community that this is not a possibility, and the value in having patients take medicine correctly far outweighs the risks. 

What do you think of this new technology? Would you feel comfortable swallowing a microchip on a daily basis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

(Image Sources: Tommy Toy and Mems Journal)

Cameras are awesome, but most camera straps are boring. While we love browsing online stores like Photojojo, Etsy, and Amazon for unique camera accoutrements (see: 20 Must-Haves for the Modern Photog), its hard to find that perfect strap for every outfit and it's really hard to justify spending big bucks on more than one strap. So, naturally, it's time to hack! 

Each strap took us about 5 minutes and cost less than 5 dollars. The best thing about this how-to is that once you know a few simple tricks, you can create a whole bunch of camera straps that are easy to swap out depending on what you're wearing and where you're headed.

Materials:
- scarves, belts, purse straps, fabric trim
- sewing machine or needle and thread
- large key rings
- super small key rings
- carabiners with key ring attachments
- scissors
- camera with strap hooks!

We recommend grabbing underused scarves from your closet, or heading to a local thrift shop to find some cheap gems. We hit up Goodwill and picked up a wooly winter scarf, a spring scarf, and a silk scarf. We also found a sweet canvas belt. Then we went to the local fabric store and found two pieces of gorgeous fabric trim, typically used for the hem of a garment.

This DIY will only work for cameras that have strap attachments. The first thing to do, of course, is to remove that boring old black strap and attach a small key ring.

Next, prepare your strap. For this fringed scarf, we cut off the fringe and cut the scarf to the same length as our old strap. If you don't have a strap, the length should be about 30 inches after everything is sewn, so cut to 36 inches.

Bundle up the scarf at the end. Fold once (to keep the cut end contained), and fold again over the key ring. Now, sew!

Wrap it around your neck to test the strength of your stitches. If you're using a machine, sew over the seam 3 or 4 times to keep everything secure. Same goes for hand sewing.

For a belt or purse strap, you'll probably want to cut off any hardware at the end unless you can figure out a way to incorporate it into your strap. For this canvas one, we cut off the D-ring. 

Then fold each end over a carabiner, and sew!

This wooly number will keep you warm on those cool spring days.

We love the springy pastels in this piece of woven trim found at the fabric store.

Class it up with a silk scarf and black trench.

Or go industrial with this canvas number.

Get girly with this length of frilly lace trim.

And finally, a brightly colored spring scarf! This one is definitely our favorite.

Or get a little nutty and wear all six camera straps at once! ;)

Got any camera styling tricks up your sleeve? Leave us a note in the comments below. And if you give this a try, we'd love to see photos. Send photos our way on Twitter or Facebook and we'll post the best ones on our blog.

We adore just about everything involving wood, woodgrain, and/or wooden details. Whether it's in the form of a crazy aisle at your wedding or a JackBack panel on your iPhone, wood, thankfully, isn't going anywhere. And now, you can wear it! 

1. Outlaw Brown Wood Helmet ($30): The jury's out on whether this helmet involves actual wood or just a synthetic imitation, but it's pretty awesome and would look totally at home on bike riders here in SF.

2. Wood Tie ($36): Made in San Francisco from reclaimed wood, each of these wood ties is totally unique and totally chic. Each tie is held together by an elastic cord that runs lengthwise through the tie and around your shirt collar. Hello spring wedding season!

3. Herrlicht Wood Frames: Yes, these are just the perfect amount of earthy and hipster all in one pair of glasses. Check the site for where you can buy them locally. 

4. Oswald Walnut Grey Sunglasses ($145) & Govy Zebrawood ($135)
Shwood specializes in wood sunglasses - each pair is handcrafted in Portland. These classic panto-shaped glasses feature a wood frame and keyhole bridge. Sort of like Warby Parker, woodified.

5. Argyle Bow Tie ($42): The Good Wood tie is GOOD! The argyle print combines vintage design with rustic charm. A good alternative to the wood tie, and would look pretty fetching on gals as well. 

6. Hand Inlayed Wooden Utility Knife ($72): Ok not exactly a wearable, these gorgeous pocket knives are as convenient as they are fashionable. We love the chevron-esque patterns! 

7. Leather and Wood Sandals ($355): Wooden clogs have been around for decades, but we've been loving the wooden heels popping up on fashionistas everywhere for the last year or so. 

8. Kaku Briefcase: We're on the hunt for where to buy these gorgeous bags, and will let you know as soon as we find them! Each bag is made with Japanese cedar, canvas and leather. 

9. Wood Veneer Patchwork Sunglasses of the Month ($199): If one pair of sunglasses just isn't enough, sign up for Spring Sunglasses of the Month! Each pair is made by attaching veneer wood to high quality plastic frame, and is totally waterproof.

10. Wood Clutch ($200): This smokin' bag by French Connection features a rectangular main area with a long length curb chain handle, gold-tone detailing, and an interior zip pocket. Love it! 

11. WeWOOD Time Pieces ($120-$139): WeWood's watches are all made of 100 percent natural wood, are hypo-allergenic, and completely free of toxic chemicals. Best of all, WeWood plants one tree for each watch sold. 

How do you bring wood, woodgrain, and wooden details into your wardrobe? Send links to your favorite pieces our way on Twitter, Facebook or by leaving a note in the comments below. 

Having been a recent bride myself, I can say that I’m 100% in support of breaking many of the traditional wedding dress rules. Some rules of advice from an ex-bride:

1) Wear a dress that fits your theme. Getting married at the beach? Opt for a fancy sun dress. Getting married on New Year’s? Definitely go for a dress with lots of gold or silver sparkle. 

2) Earn bonus points if you can find a dress that is so non-wedding that you can re-wear it to other events! Get the most you can out of the money you’re spending...weddings are NOT cheap.

3) Above all, wear something you love. This is your day and you should feel like a princess.

To help inspire you to think differently (hey, it was Steve’s motto, why shouldn’t it be yours, too?), we’ve rounded up 16 of our favorite non-traditional (but still very wearable) wedding dresses. Just don’t show your grandma until the big day.

Burnished Organza Gown - $1,400 (Left)
If I had to get married all over again, I’d probably wear this. Stunning.

Nicosia Gardens Gown - $3,000 (Right)
Is this a wedding gown, or a beachy cocktail dress? The decision is yours to make.

Blushing In Pink Tulle Dress - $1,180 (Left)
Part ballerina, part bride... total pretty. Handmade and comes in several other colors.

Papillio Wedding Dress - $279 (Right)
Perfect for a garden wedding, or for any event where you want to look and feel like Tinkerbell.

1940’s Dress - $163
This retro dress is divine! Look at those buttons on the back! And the price is extremely affordable. If you don’t like it as a wedding dress, at least consider it for your rehearsal dinner.

Audrey Dress - $250 
Another amazing vintage dress. A classic A-line with ¾ length sleeves and our favorite adornment, pockets. Would also look fabulous with a belt.

Saturnalia Dress - $350 (Left)
Perfect for a more casual affair. And, oh, what a nice price!

Tulle Era Dress - $2,600 (Right)
Perfect for a vintage wedding. Check out our faux-bob tutorial to get the complete look!

Sue Wong Gold Fringe Dress (Left)
Simply stunning. Another great dress to go with a faux bob or side chignon.

Sarmi Evening Dress (Right)
We think this would be the wedding dress Audrey Hepburn would have worn (sans weird flower). Unfortunately, it’s not actually for sale, as it’s currently being displayed as a piece of modern art. Regardless, we love the gold and black contrast and the crazy amounts of sparkle in the skirt!

Douglas Hannant Silver Dress (Left)
Perfect for a wedding or a glamorous cocktail party. Though, we don’t suggest this hair-do.

Douglas Hannant Embroidered Dress (Right)
This gown is made out of both silk and wool and has a really beautiful petal pattern throughout.

Xenia Dress (Left)
Love this dress for a casual beach wedding. Also great for a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower.

Antonella Dress (Right)
Absolutely LOVE the cut of this dress. It looks relaxing enough to wear all day, but is still dead sexy. And, it’s a faint gold, the color of the season.

High Low Hem - $795
The mixture of lace and satin, the asymmetrical hem... we can’t decide what we love most about this dress.

iPad Wedding Dress - $70,000 (estimated)
Design your own wedding dress digitally, and get 100 iPads in the process! This dress doubles as great guest favors! Yes, this one is a joke. But, if you know anyone who has actually done something so geeky, please send them our way.

And if you've got tips and tricks of your own for finding the best non-wedding dress wedding dress, send 'em our way by leaving a note in the comments below or share links with us on Twitter.

First up, wearables that enhance muscle tone.

Recovery Long Sleeve Shirt ($68): We love an item that plans ahead. This sleek top is made with sweat-wicking CLIMALITE fabric and mesh inserts that keep you cool and dry during your workout. On top of that, this piece features strategically placed compression zones designed for maximum muscle recovery after your workout. 

TECHFIT Boy Shorts ($25): Also made with Adidas CLIMALITE fabric, these shorts sweep sweat away from your skin with every move you make. Best of all, they enhance the effectiveness of your workout by focusing your muscles' energy to "generate maximum explosive power, acceleration and long-term endurance" ensuring the best workout possible. And we're all over the neon-ness of this zebra print!

EasyTone Fitness Pant ($80): Part of Reebok's innovative EasyTone Apparel Collection, these smokin' fitness pants use ResisTone bands designed to create resistance as you move. On top of that, the Play Dry fabric wicks moisture, accelerates evaporation, and contours to your body for maximum support; perfect for any level of exercise. 

Ex-Celerator Compression Toesock ($38): Injinji's entire collection of socks claim to enable the human foot to function more naturally and efficiently inside the shoe. The compression toesock takes that one step further with a bit of gadgetry. Designed with a graduated lower leg compression at the calf, this sock enhances circulation and expedites muscle recovery before, during, and after your workout. 

Next, we've got 4 tools and techniques trainers crucial for loosening up muscles after a tough workout.

Foam Roller: Most of my clients cringe when I pull this out, but when they’re done they not only feel better, but their mobility has improved.  The foam roller is a tool used for Self-Myofacial Release (SMR), as are the others you will soon read about. It’s a great way to help break-up some of the tissue surrounding the muscles which cause tightness and restrict movement. The Foam Roller is best when used on larger muscle groups because of its size. Calves, quads, hamstrings, gluteals, piriformis, and the IT band are ideal places to roll out. If you're unsure how to use it, find a trainer and ask for some tips. (Photo source)

Cane/Hook Self Massage: While the hook may look intimidating…or just odd, it is the perfect tool for getting the nooks and crannies of the impossible to reach sections in your upper back - where most of us carry our stress.  Use it to massage your upper traps and back where those little knots hide so well. Find them and dig in! We recommend this set of 3 Body Back Buddy's. 

The Stick: This little guy (available here) is a perfect way to get the knots in your calf muscles.  You can do this while sitting at your desk by keeping your knee bent and foot flat on the floor—this will help relax your calf muscles.  Now, just roll the stick on over those calves while applying pressure. The stick is also good for rolling out more specific spots on your quadriceps or IT bands. 

Trigger Point Balls: These handy little things are perfect for rolling out the muscles in the arch of the foot or in upper back to help correct posture. You can buy them here ($24) or, if you're on a budget,  a golf, baseball, tennis or lacrosse ball will do the trick too. 

Technique: For all tools listed above, you want to start off with light pressure and apply more as you get comfortable. At times, you will feel yourself rolling over a knot.  You’ll know this because…well, it’ll hurt a little (mild to medium discomfort is okay). Stop on these sections and hold for 30+seconds to allow the muscles to relax and break-up the tissue. You want to try and do this several times a week and definitely before and after your workouts.

5 Things to Avoid When Rolling Out Muscles
1. The pain you feel during Self-Myofacial Release should never be sharp. If it is, stop and consult a doctor or other health professional.
2. Always Listen to your Body. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn't! Ask an expert. 
3. Never roll over a joint!
4. Take deep breaths to help you relax. Your muscles, especially those being rolled out, should not be flexed.
5. If you’re unsure what muscles need attention ask a professional.

How do you keep your muscles feeling good before, during, and after your workout? Got any homespun tools for rolling out those knots? Send tips and tricks our way on Twitter or by leaving a note in the comments below. 

Tiffany Chag has been an NASM certified personal trainer since 2005. She is also a certified clinical nutritionist consultant and holistic lifestyle coach. She has experience in everything from weight loss to strength/agility training to nutritional consulting. 

Materials:
- your gorgeous hair, dry
- a flat iron
- elastics or clips (anything to keep your hair in sections)
- hair spray

First, separate your hair into 6 sections. The larger the braid, the larger the wave. If you're looking for a big hair look and left your crimper in the 80s, try this same method with a bunch of small braids.

Next, braid! Then take your flat iron and iron the braids one by one. It's crucial that you start all the way at the top of the braid, and hold in place for about 10 seconds. 

For the end of the braid, use your flat iron to curl the bottom a bit so the waves flow naturally through the ends of your hair. 

And that's it! You're ready to make mermaid-style splashes, even on a rainy April day. Got any style hacks we should know about? Send beauty tips our way on Twitter or Facebook. 

1. Blue Ombre Petal Cake: Ommmm…bre. This cake is all about preparation. It's pretty quick to make, so long as you've got your frosting tips and piping bags all set when you begin.  (Recipe and photo: The Hungry Housewife) 

2. Chocolate Cupcake Pops: We couldn't possibly do a roundup of super fun cakes without including something delicious by Bakerella! These cupcake pops are insanely adorable and wouldn't make it more than 5 minutes at Brit HQ. (Recipe and photo: Bakerella) 

3. Double Rainbow Cake Jelly Shot: A reference to the infamous Double Rainbow is always welcome 'round these parts. (Recipe and photo: Jelly Shot Test Kitchen) 

4. Red Velvet Nikon: Not one we recommend trying at home, this incredibly detailed Nikon cake was created by the talented professionals at Granny Schmidt's in Pennsylvania. (Photo: Fsumaria)

5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Invaders: Nerd alert! Ok these aren't exactly cakes but when we stumbled onto them we just had to share. We love the idea of using silicone ice cube trays for adorable cake shapes. (Recipe and photo: Sugar For the Brain) 

6. Mocha Kuih Lapis: This cake's got more layers than the master photoshop files for our website! Too computer geeky? Fine. But these layers are amazing! Each one is grilled for 3 minutes and layered. (Recipe and photo: Kokken 69) 

7. Key Lime Ombre Cake: Our second cake ode to ombre, a slice of these sweetness would complement our DIY Sponge Manicure perfectly. (Recipe and photo: Alaska From Scratch)

8. Tie Dyed Cake: Get in touch with your hippie roots (that's right) with a super colorful and super fun to make Tie Dye Cake! See also: Tie Dye Cake Pops. (Recipe and photo: Five Kids Is A Lot of Kids)

9. Popcorn Cake: Let's see. Take two things that are delicious and combine them? Sounds perfect to us. In fact, we might have to try a Red Hot Popcorn Cake in the near future. (Recipe and photo: Cookies and Cups) 

10. 3D Pumpkin Cake: Halloween may be far away, but a giant 3D baseball cake is likely in our future.  (Recipe and photo: Brit) 

11. Hunger Games Cupcakes: Channel your inner mockingjay with this fiery foursome of cupcakes. And if you still haven't seen or read The Hunger Games, get yourself prepped with our checklist. (Recipe and photo: Sweet Tooth) 

12. Sandwich Cake: And finally the only savory one in the bunch, but possibly the kookiest. The sandwich cake has quickly become an office staple, and is just begging for improvisation! (Recipe and photo: Brit)

What are the kookiest cake recipes you've tried at home? We'd love to see photos. Tweet them to @brit or send a note to hello@hellobrit.com. 

First, the basics.

InstaFriends: This site is a super simple web interface for viewing your photo feed. It shows you your followers, your fans, and your friends in a simple, clean way. 

Statigr.am: Looking for a Flickr-esque stats page? Head to Statigr.am. Here you can view your most popular photos, what filters you've used the most, and you can view your Instagram feed Pinterest-style.

Instaport: Switched iPhones one too many times? Or are super vigilant about keeping your iPhone library clear but have no idea where you saved all those photos? Instaport allows you to download all of your Instagram photos to your hard drive in high resolution.

Instac.at: Yep. A photo feed of #cats is considered part of the basics when it comes to just about anything on the internet. Icanhazinstacat? If cats aren't your jam, check out sister site SearchInstagram. 

Next, we've got sites that turn your Instagram photos into sweet objects.

Stitchtagram: Don't you want to lay your head down on your 25 favorite Instagram photos? Now you can! This is a cute idea for putting together photos from a road trip, a wedding, or simply your favorite neon signs. These puppies go for $53 a pop.

ImageSnap: Highlighted in last week's post on customizing tiles, ImageSnap's Teeny Tiles were made specifically with Instagram in mind. Create magnets or itty bitty modular wall art. 

Instateez: Found an image on Instac.at that is so awesome you need to wear it? Boom. Instateez. At the moments, tees are just $16 and you can easily share your design with friends so anyone can buy it!

Hatchcraft: These gorgeous bamboo shadow box frames are offered in two sizes, and come with your uploaded photos mounted flat onto the wood. Though marketed to Instagram users, these frames work for any photo you can crop into a square. 

There's a whole host of sites that track Instagram by time, place, tag, popularity, but here are a few that take your Instagram feed and transform it into a scrapbook, a game, a fashion mag, and a map.

Timehop: Pulling in data from foursquare, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Timehop offers a daily glimpse at your life through social media one year ago today. What photos did you take? Where did you check in?

Cartagr.am: Basic cartography meets Instagram in this charming visualization of photos taken all over the world. 

52 Grams: Part look book, part catalog, part fashion plate, 52 Grams is a cool little web tool for sharing your personal style with the world. Take any photo you've got and tag your clothes and accessories with brand, designer, price, and anything else you want to include. 

Instamatch: Remember how fun it was to match the squirrel to the squirrel? Instamatch takes the classic memory card matching game and gives it an Instagram update. Rather than simply matching identical cards, match two that capture a sunset, two that are of a front door, or accidentally find yourself matching two doppelgängers! 

And finally, and possibly our favorite, an Instagram Photo Booth!

Instaprint: This project is currently awaiting funding on Kickstarter and is just as awesome as it sounds. By setting Instaprint to look out for specific locations or hashtags (for ex: @ Brit HQ or #tahoesurprise), it enables everyone at your event to be the photographer. Plus, the printing process uses an inkless technology where all the color is pulled from the paper itself! 

Right in time for the rainiest month, we've rounded up a dozen innovative umbrellas sure to help you beat the rainy day blues. 

1. Heart Umbrella ($55): Show those clouds your love of the rain with these charming red number.

2. Sky Umbrella ($39): Forget about the rain. With this darling umbrella, designed by Tibor Kalman and Emanuela Frattini Magnusson for MoMA in 1992, you'll be dreaming of blue skies in no time.

3. Standard Travel Umbrella ($20): From the same team that brought you the Standard Hotels comes a super-compact bright orange umbrella. We love the plastic carrying case

4. Guy de Jean Long Umbrella ($95): Reminiscent of a bandana print, this umbrella is so stylish that you just might don it on days without rain as well.

5. Senz Original ($68): Don't be fooled by the unusual shape on this one. This was specially designed to combat harsh winds that often accompany rain. 

6. Brussels Sprouts Umbrella ($44): Take your love of brussels to the next level with this photo print umbrella. Also comes in Bangers and Mash, Beans on Toast, and Fries with Ketchup.

7. Bubble Umbrella ($18): You need to protect your precious head but you still need to see where you're going. This bubble umbrella comes in a dozen colors, and will sort of make you feel like a mushroom from Super Mario.

8. Rain Man Umbrella ($350) Definitely the priciest umbrella of the bunch, this limited edition gentlemanly umbrella comes with a leather shoulder strap for easy carrying. We think this one is begging for a a little DIY action.

9. Goggles Umbrella ($80): In the same vein as the bubble umbrella but with a limited line of vision, we can't help but giggle at these goggles.

10. Color Wheel Umbrella ($40): Gray days instantly go away when you sport this colorful umbrella over your head.

11. Lightsaber Umbrella ($28): Channel your Jedi skills and Blade Runner love all with one umbrella.

12. Hands On Umbrella Sword Cane ($16) What looks like a classic umbrella with brass knuckles, is actually a concealed sword! We recommend practicing your ninja skills before getting too crazy with this one.

What are your favorite pieces of rain gear? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter!

The site itself is much more beautiful and easy to navigate. According to folks at Sephora, it's also much faster -- meaning that pages load more quickly and you can place in order in half the clocks and half the time. The part most interesting to me, though, is the new content experience. From the homepage, you can learn about the latest beauty trends, watch tutorial videos, and interact with experts.

In its new iPad app, Sephora has leveraged the camera feature to create a "virtual mirror" that lets you see yourself practicing makeup application as a video of the techniques are played below. It would be cooler if you could practice putting on virtual make-up instead of the real thing, but maybe that's coming in their v2 app ;)

I'm especially excited that Sephora stores are now testing out an in-store iPad integration so that customers can navigate through the products, schedule makeup consultation services, and even checkout on-the-go (as opposed to at the counter). I think this is a fundamental shift in retail services that we'll be seeing a lot more of from all types of brands in the near future.

The new website and apps are live as of this morning, so head on over to Sephora.com and check them out!

Fret no more! An app called Friendsheet, has come to the rescue. Friendsheet is a Pinterest-like feed (yes, yet another Pinterest clone) consisting solely of photos from Facebook. You can browse your friends' photos, a specific friend's photos, or your own photos. The best part? It's a never-ending feed! You can browse for hours on end, making sure you don't miss a single upload from one of your friends. Clicking on a photo will enlarge it so that you can take in all the close-up details you'd get on Facebook. And yes, you can still comment and like as usual.

I spent a good 10 minutes on the site today, browsing all of my friends' Easter uploads. It made me feel "in-the-know" about everything happening in my friends' lives, and took me significantly less time than it would have taken to consume the content through my News Feed.

Now the big question: what happens now that Facebook has acquired Instagram? Time will only tell. Be on the lookout for many more Facebook photo features, coming to a browser or phone near you.

While I've found the Hydracoach water bottle to be a little hit-or-miss in terms of the data accuracy, I really love the way it prompts me to drink more water throughout the day. Truth be told, I am a pretty terrible water drinker, usually only getting in 4-5 cups per day. However, once I started using this handy bottle, I became much more aware at just how much more H2O I need in my body, and have hit my goal of 8 cups per day nearly every day since. One huge feature that's missing is an iPhone app that corresponds to my drinking stats (hint: anyone from the Hydracoach team that might read this!).

The cordless digital jump rope looks silly, yes, but is actually really great if you are confined to working out in a small indoor space. It makes it so that you can jump rope without taking out a lamp or chandelier. Plus, it tracks your calories and jump rotations, and will even alarm when you've met your time goal.

Finally, the Nike+ FuelBand has to be my new favorite fitness gadget on the market. I wear it nearly every day and only have to charge it every 10 days or so (read: awesome battery life). I still use my Jawbone UP and Fitbit, but am beginning to prefer the FuelBand thanks to the Nike+ GPS integration -- it makes going for a run much more interesting and fun. Now, if only it looks pretty with a cocktail dress... stay tuned for a DIY ;)

Watch the video to see how they all work, and leave a comment below or find me on Twitter if you have any specific questions about any gadget.

Whether you're religious or not, it's a great time for friends, family, food and FUN. And if you're still looking for a few last-minute creative ideas, we've rounded up all of our Easter-inspired posts from the past couple of weeks. Try a few for yourself this weekend and let us know how it goes!

The 8 Best Virtual Easter Eggs Online

Tie Dye Cake Pops

9 Ways to Play With Peeps

Easter Egg Pops

Colorful Coconut Nests

Peep Krispie Treat Baskets

Dress Like a Bunny!

Okay, so maybe we never actually did a post about that one, but it's a great tip, nonetheless, right? :) Photo credit: some random photographer that took a picture of me when I was 5-years old.

How else are you celebrating this special holiday? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter!

Festival season is upon us. You've already entered to win the ultimate fanny pack for the festival after party (haven't you?!) and now it's time to get prepped for the main event. Whether you're camping, hotel-ing, driving in for one day, or working the event, this roundup of all things festival is sure to have you fully prepared for three days of musical bliss.

Do Your Homework
You can't possibly call yourself festival-ready without a dose of history. 

Watch Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music Director's Cut: This documentary is the closest thing to really experiencing the event. We recommend finding a friend with a projector so you can really immerse ourself in this three day microcosm of the turbulent '60s. And yes, it's available on Amazon Instant Video! (Photo: FilmJerk)

Download On the Way to Woodstock for your iPad
One 2-disc film couldn't possibly be enough to really get you prepped. This iPad app features over 100 hours of content, including videos, audio clips, and more. We love the fact that you can go through each day chronologically. 

Rock Festival Style
With Coachella kicking things off next weekend, it's high time you start making all those DIY projects you've bookmarked for spring and summer.

Duct Tape Feather Earrings: If you haven't made them yet, now is the time. And feel free to experiment with an entire duct tape outfit… and send us pics! 

Sparklify Your Sunglasses: Grab a bottle of glitter nail polish and get to work on those cheap wannabe Wayfarers. 

Ombre Nails: It's time to try the Sponge Manicure. Go for a neon gradient, deep blue galaxy, or go super hipster and go grayscale. 

Neon Rope Bracelets: The only way to get real neon street cred is to bring back the daylgo, summer camp style.

Braided Hair Headband: Forget tying a shoelace around your head. Simply take a few strands of your hair, braid it into a headband, pin it, and you're set.

Chevron Bling: Chevron, sharpies, and gold leather. Do it. In fact, make up a whole chevron-inspired accessory outfit! 

T-Shirt Necklace: Earn DIY points by sporting previous festival tees around your neck.  

Get the Lineup Lowdown
Not all the lineups have been announced, but those that have look incredible and promise awesomeness on the festival circuit nationwide. Oh, and they all involve Bon Iver. 

Coachella (April 13-15 + April 20-22): First and foremost, two weekends of music in the desert. Download the app and start planning your show route now! Headliners are Radiohead, the Black Keys, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, and Bon Iver.

New Orleans Jazz Fest (April 27-29 + May 3-6): With a rock-heavy lineup of Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, Tom Petty, The Beach Boys, Foo Fighters, and Bon Iver, this many-day extravaganza is perfect for a summer vacation.You can even bring your parents!

Bonnaroo (June 7-10): Tennessee gets the prize for totally reviving the full on hippie fest. While the lineup has become increasingly more mainstream, the vibe is still one of peace, love and music. Main acts this year include Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, Foster the People, and, of course, Bon Iver. We're loving the Bonnaroo app which includes an interactive road trip map inviting roadtrippers to drop pins on their favorite locations, so fellow festival-goers can check them out.

Pitchfork (July 13-15): The indie darling of the festival scene, Pitchfork is filling Chicago with the best new music around. This year's lineup favorites include Hot Chip, Feist, Cults, Beach House, and Grimes. Stay tuned for the Pitchfork Festival app. (Photo: Tickets Inventory)

Lollapalooza (August 3-5): Arguably the hardest rocking summer music festival year in and year out, there's no official lineup yet but we're guessing Radiohead and Bon Iver just might make an appearance. Check out the Lollapalooza Facebook page for up-to-the-minute news and lineup rumors.

Outside Lands (August 10-12): And the finally summer fest, Outside Lands. Located in Brit HQ's backyard (way back) of Golden Gate Park, this one is definitely more chill, as things in SF tend to be. Stay tuned for the official lineup and app! 

Stay Nourished
With days spent dancing and drinking in the sun, it's easy to forget that your body needs lots of yummy food as well! If you're wary of the food stands, bring your own bite size treats. 

PB&J Sushi: Roll it up, slice it up, and bring enough for your neighbors. 

Pack a Pie: These pies aren't only good for mailing, they happen to be the perfect sweet treat for throwing in your purse or fanny pack. 

Apple Cookies: Bake up a bunch of apple cookies and keep snacking on them throughout the weekend. Try doing the same with veggies!

Pretzel Pops: Show off your culinary innovation skills with a bag full of pretzel pops. And remember to happen by an official festival photog while you're eating them. ;) 

Phew. That was a lot of prep! But now you're definitely ready to tackle the music festival scene, and maybe even ready to crowdsurf like you did when you were 14 at the Warped Tour, or maybe that was just me? 

Tweet festival survival ideas our way or leave us a note in the comments below. Keep rocking!

Yes, we've used that reference before in our PB&J Breakfast Smoothie, but does a song about the greatest sandwich every really get old? Nope, and neither does Peanut Butter and Jelly. Class up this classic treat by turning it into a whimsical platter of rolls. Bon appetit!

Ingredients:
- 4 tortillas
- peanut butter (we used a variety of Chunky, Creamy, Honey Nut, and All Natural)
- jelly (strawberry jam, blackberry jelly, blueberry preserves, raspberry preserves)
- fruit for garnish

The step by step is pretty self-explanatory, but here we go.

Lay out your tortilla. Spread out one layer of peanut butter. Then spread out a thin layer of jelly. Roll it up as tightly as you can. About halfway through rolling, you'll probably find yourself with a bit of excess jelly. Scrape this off with a knife and keep on rollin'. 

Now, cut your roll! The end pieces aren't the best for presentation, but still taste totally delicious.

For garnish, top with fresh fruits that match or complement the jelly. 

How do you remake your favorite childhood classics? We'd love to try your recipes. Leave us a note in the comments below or tweet at us. And Happy Easter!

We've shown you how to glitter your heels, color block your boyfriend jeans, and wake up your wellies, but it's time to add even more spring to your step, the fluorescent spray paint way. That's right. We're combining neon, color block, and the often-neglected heels of our shoes.

Materials:
- 2 pairs of old shoes
- fluorescent spray paint
- 4 plastic grocery bags
- electrical tape
- spray shellac

We can't get enough of the old spray paint + spray shellac combo. Both are ridiculously convenient, and they happen to withstand all sorts of weather, even on your shoes.

First, get your shoes in a row. We had a couple pairs of dull shoes that hadn't been worn in years, primed and ready for an update.

Next, you're going to tape off the part you want to paint. Put most of your shoe in a plastic bag and just let the heel pop out. Use electrical tape (conforms to your shoe better than painter's tape) and attach the bag to your shoe. Be sure to tape at the top edge of the heel firmly.

Now, go outside and spray paint away! You'll need 3 coats of spray paint for each heel.

Finish it off with a layer of shellac and you're good to go. 

Let dry for at least an hour (the longer the better) and then get ready to unwrap. Yes, these shoes are like Christmas!

The only obvious event to wear these to is a Color Block Party! But we'll settle for a colorful commute. ;)

How do you jazz up old unworn shoes and accessories? Share your ideas with us in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

Our iPhones are almost as essential as breathing at this point. It's how you connect to everyone, everything, and everywhere you go. But, the cases for our darling iPhones kind of suck. The good ones are expensive and as soon as you think you've found the most unique iPhone outfit around, you step on the subway and see 10 other people with the same one.

So, with the help of a few simple craft items and a few super cheap plastic and silicone cases, we're here to show you 4 ways to protect your phone in style. Best of all, your case will be totally unique and easy to spruce up when you want to change your look.

Materials:
- mod podge
- Xacto knife 
- scissors
- all purpose adhesive  
- inexpensive iPhone case (soft silicone or hard plastic)

1. Glossy Paper Cut-Outs: Your options here are limited to any and every catalog, magazine, book, or calendar you can think of. We used a Free People catalog as our source and found two different patterns we like. 

For the first one, we decided to bring back our love of chevron. We used our phone to create the chevron pattern and cut it out of the catalog with an Xacto knife. Use all purpose glue to glue your shapes on. Last, a layer of mod podge to seal the deal. 

Or, simply trace your iPhone case on a colorful page and create a solid backing. Be sure to place your case on the magazine and use an Xacto knife to cut out the camera hole. Use a Q-Tip to clean out any excess mod podge from the camera hole. Then use the all purpose glue and a paint brush to get the picture on the case. Lastly, paint on a coat of mod podge and allow 24 hours to dry. 

2. Lace Doilies: You can either find a lace pattern you love, or create a custom lace print like we did by using a package of doilies.

Line up the doilies anyway you see fit and create a pattern that you like on the back of the case. Stick each piece one by one using the all purpose glue painted on with a paint brush. To seal your design, paint on a layer of mod podge with a sponge and allow 24 hours to dry. The best thing about this option is that even just a small piece of doily can create a unique, dramatic effect. 

3. Etched Wood: Wooden cases on anything and everything has taken over, even at your wedding! You can get the look by using wood paper and a wood burning pen. 

First plug in the wood pen because it takes a few minutes to heat up. Use your iPhone to trace the outline onto the wooden paper and cut it out. Use the all purpose glue to attach to your case. In our case, we had adhesive wooden paper so we simply had to peel off the backing and stick on! Now you are ready to burn in whatever personalized logo you please. You will need to cut out the camera hole for this case as well and can do so by using the wood burning pen and just pressing it through the wood.  

4. Plastic Pendant: This one is hands down the most simple makeover in the bunch. Use a plastic pendant or large plastic button, glue onto your case, and voila!

We recommend the hard cases for a better final product, but it's fun to experiment with the silicone cases as well! 

If you try this at home, we'd love to see photos. Send pics our way on Twitter and we'll share the best ones on our blog. 

Enter Paper. The iPad app that just might revolutionize the way you absorb the world around you, and how you share your ideas with the world. Capture your thoughts and plans as notes, diagrams, infographics, drawings, and sketches, and instantly share them with friends, family, coworkers, and clients.

But this app is not just about productivity and the ability to share handwritten ideas as quickly as you have them. Remember when you used to keep a journal instead of a public-facing blog? Where you could paste all those tickets, write about those bad days, and attempt to draw self-portraits that no one should ever see? Use Paper to create a journal or sketchbook for all of those personal moments, and if the sketches are any good, feel free to hit the share button. 

Honestly, the possibilities for creatively using Paper are even more endless than good old fashioned paper! ;)

And, though we're all pretty familiar with touchscreen technology thanks to our smartphones and iPads, we've only started to scratch the surface when it comes to creatively using the screen (pun intended). DrawSomething, arguably the most popular app on the market right now, is making tons of people realize just how fun it is to color with your fingers.

Plus, isn't it more fun to actually cross something off your to-do list rather than click a button that checks it off? 

Some critics complain that though the basic version of Paper is free, the fact that each brush costs extra money is a turn-off. Seeing as this app released just a week ago, we won't be surprised to see Paper offering a premium version as well as a basic one you can build on in the near future.

Have you tried Paper? Know of any other comparable iPad apps we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below.

Here are a few of our most-used and well-loved objects from around the office that get that extra bit of creative flair from a little brush with nail polish. And we definitely recommend cracking a window or two anytime you use nail polish, on your nails or on your silverware. ;)

We love China Glaze's bright neon color palette and OPI definitely has the best sparkles.

First up, our paintbrushes of course!

Our makeup brushes.

Some bright neons on our kitchen tools (a la our colorful spring cleaning tools). 

A little blue sparkle on our silverware.

On our trusty scissors and Xacto knife.

And of course, our shades!

How do you bring a little more color to your workspace? Tweet photos our way and we'll share the best ones on our blog.

First things first, how do you make a digital 3D model? Thanks to programs like Google SketchUp, understanding dimension on screen is a whole lot easier than it used to be. Gone are the days of learning complex algorithms and building model after model until you get it right. Our two favorite websites for creating digital 3D forms are Tinkercad and 3DTin. 

Tinkercad allows you to design using their software, but starts you off with tutorials or quests. By treating 3D design like a game, learning how to use all the moving parts can actually be fun, and all you need is a browser. Once you've designed your object, you can export and print on your own 3D printer, or order through them. 

3DTin is a little more bare bones. The basic version allows you to play around in a 3D canvas, import and export files. You can explore other users sketches and build off of them to create your own unique objects. 

Now, you've got your 3D models all worked out, but how do you make your dream objects a reality? 

Hot on the 3D cloud printing scene is Shapeways, quickly becoming a favorite among 3D design dabblers. Shapeways offers 25 different materials including stainless steel, glass, plastic and ceramics, so you don't have to make everything in that specific silicone material. They also offer tutorials, but we recommend playing around with Tinkercad ahead of time. 

One of our favorite Shapeways offerings is the Vibe iPhone case. Simply head to Shapeways, choose your favorite song or sound on Soundcloud, and a digital prototype of an iPhone case pops up on the screen. At only $25 a pop, these aren't that much more expensive than comparable cases out there, and are totally unique.

And, Apple nerds that we are, we adore this Nano Bracelet/Watch. 

With Sculpteo, you simply upload your 3D design and order it. If you are still not quite satisfied with your digital model, use their software to further sculpt. Sculpteo's 3D Picture Workshop teaches you how to experiment with 3D design and printing, and can show you how to turn a photograph into a 3D model. Oh yeah, and there's an app!! You can literally take a photograph of an object, work on turning it into a 3D model, and order it right then and there. 

Finally, if you're really ready to get into the 3D printing game, you can invest in your very own 3D printer. 

On the high end (but not so high that it's not still amazing to print your own objects), we've got the MakerBot Replicator at just under $1800. This 3D printer offers 1 or 2-color printing, and can print volume of more than 300 cubic inches, about the size of a loaf of bread. You can print an entire chess set at once, or a really large polymer cupcake! This is definitely the ultimate personal 3D printer, and requires 8 weeks lead time.

Next up, we've got Cubify. This puppy retails for a cool $1300, prints objects up to 5.5 inches cubed, and prints in 10 colors. It's not quite out yet, but should be ready to order soon. The Cubify website also offers software similar to Sculpteo and Tinkercad, and will offer 3D Cloud Printing in the near future. 

Lastly, and most affordably, we have Printrbot. At just $550, this is the perfect way to delve into the 3D printing realm.  We favor the Printrbot LC which has wood detailing, and can build up to 6 inches cubed. If that's not quite enough for you, go for the Printrbot Plus (pictured above) at $700 and print up to 8 inches cubed. Both Printrbots require 6 weeks lead time.

What objects would you print with a 3D printer? Let us know your ideas in the comments below or on Twitter. 

Natural elements are always popular at weddings, from the flowers to the food, the more local the better. Wood, of course, is at the forefront of this theme and, thankfully, isn't going away anytime soon. Best of all, wood can be found almost anywhere, is affordable, and will always be unique. Plus, who doesn't love an excuse to go play in the woods to find the best pieces of wood for your wedding? 

Read on as wedding expert Jesi Haack takes us through some of her team's most inventive ways of using wood!

1. Bride and Groom Chair Signs
Find any old fence post, use a simple saw and cut it into whatever size plates you want.  Spray paint them a color of your choice, use regular sand paper to give them some texture, then paint on your saying (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

2. Bark-Wrapped Vases  
Find any cylinder vase. Buy strips of bark from your local flower mart or floral supply company. Use hot glue to adhere the bark to the vase. Trim the excess. (Source: JL designs, Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

3. Wood Bouquet
Make your own bouquets that will last forever by using wood flowers, pine cones, etc! Check out our DIY here, and browse Save On Crafts for ideas. (Photo: David Stubbs) 

4. Ring Bearer Wooden Box
Buy a wooden box from your local arts and crafts store like Michael’s or Joann Fabrics. Fill it with your favorite flower. Hand off to the groom tot! (Source: JL Designs, Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

5. Wood Aisle Runner
Bring a bunch of reclaimed wood together to create a CRAZY aisle runner. Go dumpster diving to find old palates and thrown away fence wood. Purchase pieces of OSB board at your local hardware store or Home Depot. Buy as many you need to cover your aisle. Dismantle the palates keeping most of the pieces that are clean.  Place pieces on the OSB and drill them in place. You may need a saw to cut them to fit. (Photo: Annie McElwain)

6. Branch Slices as Place Cards
Use a saw to slice branches into silver dollar size pieces. Drill a hole in each one. Tie a string through. Use a paint marker to write your guests’ name and table assignment. Hang them on a pegboard to display. (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

7. Cake Stand 
Find a big ol' tree stump from a house that is having a tree trimmed or cut down. You'd be surprised how often these turn up on the side of the road. Sand off the top and throw a cake on it! (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

8. Guest Book
You need a serious saw for this one, or the good luck of stumbling onto a perfect slice of tree. Slice a tree stump into a slim large plate. Nail in nails. Place cute tags on guest book table for guests to sign. (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)

9. Wood Wedding Rings
You love wood so much that you want to wear it all the time, till death do you part. Go for a pair of wood wedding rings! (Photo: Wood Wedding Rings)

10. Wooden Accessories
While you're at it, make up some wooden cuff links for the groomsmen and wooden necklaces for the bridesmaids as well! (Photo: David Stubbs)

11. Laser Engraved Wood Signs
Keep your event cohesive with all wood signs. Do this in a new and innovative way by laser engraving wood to get your point across. If you don't have access to a laser cutter (most of us don't!), we recommend Pitbulls and Posies. (Photo: David Stubbs)

12. Wood Wedding Cake
Ok, it's not made out of wood but it sure looks like it! Admittedly, we have no clue how to do this. Find an awesome cake shop and see what they can whip up. We recommend Sweet and Saucy Shop. (Photo: Sarah K Chen)

How might you get creative with wood? Want more details on any of these ideas? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter. Happy Woodworking!

Jesi Haack is the Owner and Lead Designer behind Jesi Haack Design.  She has worked with clients from all over the globe including Miley Cyrus, the writers of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and Kadee Strickland of Private Practice.  Her signature is creating stylishly dramatic events that capture the flair of each of her wonderful clients and creatively communicates their story to their guests.  

Ingredients (makes 6):
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups packed sweetened flaked coconut
- jelly beans, robin's eggs, or other egg-shaped candy

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Lining any pan you are using is a total must here or your nests will stick. Not to worry, you can get parchment at your local Whole Foods and most grocery stores. Add it to your baking and cooking supplies to save you tons of clean up time when making everything from roasted vegetables to cookies.

Stir together condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add coconut and mix until combined.  

Scoop and tightly pack coconut mixture using a large spring-loaded ice cream scoop.

Place coconut mounds onto the lined baking sheet. Gently make a bowl shape with your index finger. Pinch the sides of the nests to make them sturdier.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown, rotating halfway through. Let cool and fill with your favorite egg-shaped candy!

Which of our Easter treats is your favorite? Easter Egg Pops, Pretzel Pops, Peep Krispie Treat Baskets, Tie Dye Cake Pops, or these delightful Coconut Cups? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

And these JammyPacks aren't just novelty. Each pack is made from high-density, woven material that form fits to your waist enabling you to run, dance, bike, and whatever else you might want a soundtrack to. The speakers are water-resistant, silver stamped magnetic mini-speakers, boosting 3W of stereo-amplified beats per speaker. These will kick your phone, computer and any other portable speakers right in the rear. Each pack is powered by 4 double AA batteries, making it super easy to recharge whenever you run out of juice. 

When I met founder Jonnie Sax at Outside Lands, I fell head over heels in love with the JammyPack. I ended up creating a custom JammyPack which became the perfect place to store my rogue flowers, Chapstick and camera, and happened to match my vintage lavender Members Only jacket perfectly. 

And that brings us to the giveaway portion of today's ode to the JammyPack! 

We are pumped to be giving away 2 awesome JammyPacks (one for you, and one for a friend) just in time for the start of Summer Festival Season. To enter, just leave a comment below telling us why the JammyPack is the perfect music accessory for you and tag the name of a friend who would also love the JammyPack!

(To tag your friend in the comment, type the @ sign and type their name, just like you would tag on Facebook.)

- Contest entries must be received by Friday, April 6th.
- We will select and announce a winner on Monday, April 9th.
- The winner will be selected based on the most creative answer.
- Each JammyPack retails for $80 on the JammyPack website.

Got any questions about the contest? Tweet them our way or send a note to hello@hellobrit.com. Happy Jamming!

**UPDATE: Congratulations to Amber Kaplan and Maya Skinder for winning our JammyPack giveaway. We hope to see you rockin' the festival circuit all summer long!

Simply go to the Hayden Harnett site, upload your image, choose your fabric, scarf size, quantity, and boom, you're done. It's that simple. In just three weeks, your one-of-a-kind Hayden-Harnett scarf will arrive and you'll be looking like a ridiculously stylish guy or gal straight off the catwalk. 

Bespoke Scarves are available in four sizes: 20"x20" (for $110), 30"x30" (for $150), 30"x40" (for $175), or 40"x40" (for $198). Once you've chosen your size, choose your fabric: silk chiffon for a sheer effect or sandwashed silk for an opaque effect. And any image is fair game. The images featured on the Hayden-Harnett website were made from personal photos, taken with a smartphone, and came out beautifully! That's right. Even your Path/Instagram/Hipstamatic photos can turn into gorgeous wearable pieces of art. 

If you're worried about your image not being high quality enough, fear not. Each image file is carefully inspected by the designer before the printmaking process. If your image won't work, they'll let you know right away. 

And if you don't know where to start, check out the gallery of images on the site and get inspired!

What images would you love to see in scarf form? Perhaps a memory from your wedding? A beautiful sunset from your latest vacation? Or a little neon or chevron action? Send a screenshot of your bespoke scarf ideas to us on Twitter, and we'll feature our favorites on Brit's blog!

1. Lavender Lemonade: A springtime favorite, lavender flowers when cooked with sugar and water create a gorgeous natural pink hue that is just perfect for a bridal shower, baby shower, or simple Sunday morning. (Recipe and photo: Munchkin with Munchkin) 

2. Cauliflower Popcorn: That's right. Cauliflower Popcorn. Reason enough to buy a food dehydrator? Probably. (Recipe and photo: Sweet Freedom)

3. Crispy Bacon and Onion Wonton Flowers: It's true. We're using the term floral rather liberally here, but we couldn't resist these savory bites. In fact, a wonton flower party just might be in order. (Recipe and photo: Just Putzing Around the Kitchen) 

4. Earl Grey and Lemon Cake: Nothing says garden party like a spot of tea, and what would tea be without lemon? (Recipe and photo: Crunchy Bottoms) 

5. Cheese and Quince Sunflowers: You didn't think you'd get a recipe roundup from us without a pastry on a stick, did you? We just might have to try this quince goat cheese combination in a pretzel pop! (Recipe and photo: Uno de Dos) 

6. Jasmine Tea Macarons: Our second recipe that takes advantage of tea leaves, these fragrant macarons are well worth the effort, and have us thinking about what other sweet tea combinations we might make. (Recipe and photo: 375 Degrees) 

7. Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Flowers: This recipe might be reason enough to add zucchini seeds to your garden. The delicate flavor of these flowers is totally delightful! (Recipe and photo: Daily Unadventures In Cooking) 

8. Hummingbird Cupcakes: Put a pineapple flower on it! These cupcakes couldn't be more adorable, and we wonder what other fruits or veggies would easily turn into floral muffin or cupcake toppers. (Recipe and photo: Cook Like A Champion) 

9. Lychee, Vodka and Elderflower Iceblocks: Yes. We love popsicles. And just wait until summer comes around and we're popsicle-ing it up all over the place. (Recipe and photo: Spicy Ice Cream)

10. Savory Rosemary Parmesan Cookies: Oh, how we love when traditionally sweet treats turn savory. The flower shape of these is festive, and the rosemary is herbalicious. (Recipe and photo: A Cup of Sugar… A Pinch of Salt) 

11. Posh Cheese on Toast: Forget melting a slice of white cheddar cheese on an English muffin. It's time to get fancy. These parmesan cream is too good to be true, and the edible flowers on top give it a decidedly royal look. (Recipe and photo: Eggs on the Roof)

12. Fleur de Sel Caramels: Not exactly floral, but a great complement and conclusion to our garden variety. We love the idea of dropping an edible flower or two on top of each caramel for that special je ne sais quoi. (Recipe and photo: Gimme Some Oven) 

What are your favorite garden-inspired recipes for spring? Leave us a note in the comments below or send recipes our way on Twitter.

 This post is sponsored by Chase -- a strong supporter of the King Center Imaging Project

How do you use technology to keep in touch with your friends and family? This was a question we were recently asked, which got our minds spinning about all of the new ways we're able to stay connected with loved ones, even if we're miles apart. Gone are the days where we rack up minutes on our phone bill to catch up for hours on end. Instead, a set of modern apps has enabled us to keep up with each other all day every day. Here are a few of our latest favorites:

Pair
Pair is one of the hottest new apps making its way around Silicon Valley. It is designed to help couples communicate with each other no matter how far they are apart. The app lets you send notes, images, drawings (my personal favorite feature), real-time location status, and more to your significant other. Even cooler, a feature called "thumbkiss" lets you virtually hold each others hand (err, thumb) from the screen on your phone. (Images from AppSafari)

Path
As stated on their website, Path is a smart journal that helps you share life with the ones you love. While I happen to be a teensy bit biased about my obsession with this app, I can honestly say that it is the one technology that has truly enabled me to connect with my family day-in and day-out. So much so that we know nearly everything happening in each others' lives whenever we actually get to catch up in person. Path lets you catalog the things you are doing, listening to, thinking, or feeling every single day. You can add a "moment" in several different formats -- photo, video, text, etc. The key is that you are limited to 150 friends total, making it a safe place to share personal and private experiences. In fact, most users I know actually only care to share with 20-30 of their closest friends and family members. It's that personal. It also means that those following your Path will likely not get annoyed by your oodles of baby or pet photos… I know from experience, given that my Path feed is 80% comprised of cute pictures of Pixel :)

Gmail & Facebook Groups
If you're not too sure about jumping on the Path or Pair bandwagon, you can try a couple of sites that are likely already familiar to you: Gmail and Facebook. As we posted before Valentine's Day, one creative way to keep in touch is by starting a new Gmail account, sending daily messages to it, and then on a special day (a birthday, graduation, etc), sharing the login information with the person or people that you've been writing notes to all along. It's like a digital notebook. You can do the same thing with a Facebook group, though of course, on Facebook, you can also invite your friends and family to join from the start as well.

Live Video
In terms of keeping in touch, a connection over streaming, realtime video is second only to being face-to-face. Technologists clearly understand this, as there are several "realtime" video apps you can use to chat with those close to you. Our favorites include Skype, Facebook video chat, Google Talk, and of course, good old FaceTime. We're also crossing our fingers that we get into the early beta of Airtime, a new video chat app developed by Sean Parker (yes, that Sean Parker) and Shawn Fanning.

Voxer
Made for both iOS and Android, Voxer lets you turn your phone into a walkie talkie. You can use it to send voice, text, photo or location messages to one person or a group. It's also fully integrated with Facebook so that you can easily find and talk to your friends. All I know is that I may or may not have sent too many "Luuuuke, I am your faaaaather" voice messages while initially testing it out. My apologies to those friends I spammed in the process. (Moral of the story: voice messages rock.)

Draw Something
It might sound a little ridiculous to include a game on this list, but: a) Draw Something is taking the nation by storm, and b) It really does let you connect with your best friends and family in a way that few other technologies do. I mean, what other app forces you to draw a picture of a word like "bathtub" or "penguin" so that the person on the other end can easily guess what it is? It's kind of amazing, and yes, we're still obsessed.

What other apps do you use to keep up with your friends and family? Leave us a comment below or find us on Twitter!

We've been seeing custom tiles pop up all over the place. Whether you're looking to create a modular piece of wall art, a set of coasters, playful Instagram-ish magnets, or a creative kitchen backsplash, ceramic tiles are there for you. So today, we're please to bring you custom tiles two ways: the DIY method and the online design-and-order method.

First, the DIY method.

Materials:
- magazines, catalogs or print-outs of your choice
- Mod Podge
- Spray Shellac
- Xacto knife

Thumb through your latest pile of magazines and catalogs and pick out some images you like. We recommend Anthropologie, Patagonia, West Elm, and Crate & Barrel, to name a few.

Cut out  your image. Cut your image so it's about half an inch larger than your tile on all four sides. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on your tile, and press your image firmly onto the tile. Use your hands to smooth out air bubbles, and then place the tile under a pile of heavy books to get rid of remaining bubbles.

After 5 or 10 minutes, take your tile out from under the pile and place on a mat cutting board (or piece of cardboard). Use an Xacto knife to trim off the excess image, and use your thumb to smooth out the edges.

Take your tile outside, and seal the deal with a coat (or three) of Spray Shellac. If you want your tiles to be heat resistant, use lacquer.

If you want them to be waterproof, lacquer or varnish will do the trick. If you just want pretty shiny tiles to hang on your wall, the spray shellac is more than enough.

Voila!

Secondly, we have the Design-and-Order Method.

ImageSnap creates similar photo tiles… in a snap! This site is super easy to use, and you can order one individual tile magnet for your fridge or hundreds to revamp your entire kitchen. 

In fact, you can import images directly from Instagram to turn into Teeny Tiles or Classics. How convenient is that? 

These make perfect gift items, and are a great new way to display all your favorite photos. We love the idea of ordering a few as accent tiles for a bathroom, and might have to start a collection of our own documenting all of our fun DIY projects and products in ceramic form!

What fun ways might you use custom ceramic tiles around your home? Send ideas our way by leaving a note in the comments below or saying hi on Twitter!

That's why we were (nearly literally) jumping up and down with excitement when we read this recent TechCrunch post detailing how to add a linen background to your Google Docs. As designers and art enthusiasts, we couldn't be more excited to make our boring, white docs a little more tasteful. Here's the skinny on how to do it -- it just takes a few seconds.

Once you're done, all of your Google Docs will have a lovely serif header/title, and will use a dark linen background. Note that the presentations and spreadsheets don't use the linen, but do feature an updated typeface in the title line. 

Not a fan of linen? If the team at Google isn't already doing it, you can be sure that more developers around the web will be designing cool Google Docs backgrounds for future use. We'll make sure to keep an eye out so that you're posted if and when that happens.

Happy Doc-ing! :)

Ingredients (makes between 40 and 50 cake pops in 6 different colors)
- 1 box butter cake mix (bake as directed for a 9” x 13” cake)
- 1 tub vanilla frosting (16 ounces)

- 2 (12 ounce) packages Wilton candy melts
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Wilton candy gel food coloring
- Cake/cookie/lollipop sticks

Materials:
- 1 medium-sized basket
- 2 floral foam discs (make sure they fit inside your basket)
- 1 small to medium-sized package of green paper grass
- assorted ribbon to tie bows on your Easter eggs (optional)

Bake your cake as directed, and let cool for about an hour, or until ever so slightly warm to the touch. We’ve found that making cake pops works best when the cake is still a little warm, but not so warm that it melts your frosting.

Transfer to a large bowl. Using a spatula, mix cake until evenly crumbled.  

Add approximately 1 cup of the frosting to the cake and mix until completely incorporated. You should be able to take a spoonful of the mixture, roll it into a ball and place a stick inside without having the ball fall apart. If your mixture is too crumbly, add more frosting 1/4 cup at a time. If your mixture is too wet, place in the refrigerator for 15 minute intervals until hardened enough to form cake balls.

Scoop a rounded spoonful of dough. Cup your hand around the dough and spoon, pressing gently to help form the oval shape. Then roll the dough back and forth between your hands until you have a smooth and egg/oval-shaped ball. Place a lollipop stick through the center of the egg, stopping about 3/4 of the way through. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.  

Repeat with remaining dough. We only used 15 Easter egg cake pops for the basket, but the mix will make between 40 and 50 pops. If you get tired, just start rolling the extra dough into plain cake balls and freeze for another use.

Place baking sheet full of Easter egg cake pops in the freezer and allow to harden for at least 30 minutes.

Now, time to prepare your basket:

Place the two floral foam disks inside the basket and cover with green grass.

And, finally, the tie dye candy coating:

Place 2/3 cup of candy melts in a small, shallow bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to thin the candy coating and stir again until smooth.

Using a knife or spoon, dip utensil into candy gel coloring and then make a few swirls through the candy coating. Don’t mix it too much or your Easter egg cake pops will be one color.

Dip the Easter egg cake pops into the candy coating.

Roll the cake pops until just covered with coating. And don't worry if the lollipop stick falls out - just dip in the candy coating and re-attach.

Gently roll the cake pops against the side of the bowl to smooth.

Gently push cake pops into foam and set aside to cool, preferably in your refrigerator.

Repeat this process with up to 5 other colors. Note: Not all of your Easter egg cake pops will fit in the basket. After the first batches harden, transfer them to a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Use the basket to let the later batches set up, and then re-arrange your pops in the basket as desired at the end.

How are you getting crafty in the kitchen for Easter? Have you tried any of our pops? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments below or send poppy ideas our way on Twitter.

Sarah Jones is a native (and proud!) Texan currently living in sunny Palo Alto. Check out Sarah's baking and cooking recipes at The Purple Mixer.

Granted, to unsubscribe from an email list or to set up an email spam filter is not too tedious, but with so many websites trying to reach you, it can become a time suck that you just don’t have time for. Frankly, I don’t even try to unsubscribe from the spam I get in my real mail. To do so is 20x more time complicated than unsubscribing from an email. I recently tried to unsubscribe from Victoria’s Secret catalogs that were coming every week (yes, every week!). The process was insane. I had to visit VictoriasSecret.com, find the Accounts page, figure out where to request to opt-out from catalogs, submit a long form about why I was opting out, and then copy the account number printed on the catalog into a box. It was ridiculous and took me nearly 10 minutes to complete! I wasn’t about to invest the time to do that for every other piece of spam mail I got in my mailbox that day. I surrendered to the marketers.

That is, until I heard about the launch of two new apps, PaperKarma and Unroll.me. Each of these services is working to help people solve the problem of both real and virtual unwanted mail. 

PaperKarma is a new mobile app made for iPhone, Android and the Windows Phone that automatically unsubscribes you from junk mail that shows up in your home mailbox. All you have to do is snap a photo of the mail and then the team at PaperKarma will contact the Mailer to remove you from their distribution list. It takes five seconds max. I tried it recently and successfully opted out from over 20 different lists. My mailbox is blissful once again. Plus, I feel like a good human being for helping the environment :)

Unroll.me, on the other hand, is best suited for tackling the crazy amount of unwanted subscriptions in your email inbox. The service lets you easily unsubscribe from mail you don’t want to receive, and goes one step further by letting you bundle together all of the subscriptions you do want to receive in a single daily email. For instance, if you really like getting the HelloBrit.com newsletter (who doesn’t!?), like checking out headlines from the New York Times, and you also really like getting alerts when someone writes on your Facebook wall (err... posts on your “timeline”), then you can bundle those feeds together into a single email and read them all at once. Trust me, as someone that has recently used the service, it makes getting to Inbox 0 much more feasible.

If you’re tired of your own spam-tastic mail, give PaperKarma or Unroll.me a try, and make your saturated mailboxes a little more bearable. How else do you deal with spam? Leave a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

Ingredients: (makes 8 pops)
- 1 tube of Pillsbury crescent roll dough
- 1 bag of pretzel rods
- 1 egg
- fillings and toppings galore! 

For fillings and toppings, we improvised based on what we already had in the kitchen, and we encourage you to do the same. For this round of pretzel pops, we used:
- cheese: parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar
- herbs: chives and sage
- sun-dried tomatoes
- sweets: shredded coconut, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple walnuts, craisins
- cookie crumbs (specifically, Thin Mints!)

Now, let's get to work. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prep all of your fillings and toppings. For us, this meant chopping up craisins, crushing up maple walnuts, hammering away at Thin Mint crumbs, dicing up chives, and so on. 

To prepare each pretzel, take the pre-cut dough triangle you'd use for one crescent roll. Cut off one small triangle so you're left with a wide strip. 

Press fillings into the strip and fold into a roll. 

Roll a little bit so that everything stays together, and form your pretzel. 

Next, grab that extra triangle of dough. Lay it down, and press a pretzel rod into it. Place your doughy pretzel on top. Use your fingers to connect the two pieces of dough. Brush the top of your pretzel with a light egg wash, and sprinkle with additional toppings. Place on a cookie sheet.

Repeat with all of your pretzels. 

Now bake for about 12 minutes!

Take them out of the oven and marvel at the loveliness.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

And there you have it... Pretzel Pops!

We created the following combinations.
- Thin Mints and Sprinkles
- Craisins and Maple Walnuts
- Cinnamon Sugar Coconut
- Sprinkles with Cinnamon
- Chives and Cheddar
- Parmesan, Sesame, and Sage
- Red Chili Pepper, Sun-dried Tomato, and Mozzarella

For sweet pretzels, we recommend serving with honey, nutella, creme fraiche, and fresh fruit. For savory ones, go for mustard, marinara sauce, hummus, and you can never go wrong with an herby aioli.

Now, go hang out on the tiniest balcony in the world and revel in your Pretzel Pops. 

How will you get creative with cooking up Pretzel Pops? We'd love to see your creations. Send photos our way via email, Twitter, or Facebook. 

Surely you've seen the color-blocking trend that is sweeping the nation, so here's a cool way to make your boyfriend jeans stand out.

First, gather your supplies: boyfriend jeans, brightly colored fabric paint of your choice, paint brush, and masking tape.  Then, turn the jeans inside out and tape off the jeans, as shown above.

Now, lay down a few sheets of newspaper so you don't accidentally color block your apartment floor and paint the lower portion of the taped off section. For best results, use 2 coats of paint. 

Once dry, throw 'em on and cuff! Go ahead and take them for a stroll, you deserve it. 

But why stop there with the boyish-meets-color trend? Add in a pair of oxfords (we're obsessing over this total splurge Jill Sanders pair), a white t-shirt, plaid button-up and a cap (for those *cough cough* bad hair days) and you'll be spring-ready in no time. 

How do you channel menswear in your everyday apparel? Got any style tips for kicking up those boyfriend jeans up a notch or ten? Send ideas our way by leaving a note in the comments below. Happy Color Blocking!

Chelsa Skees, currently working as a freelance fashion stylist, has an ever-changing sense of fashion deriving from her decade long experience in the fashion and beauty industry.  She lives in the East Village of New York City and is constantly reinventing her style based on her love of fashion, beauty, travel and all things digital. Her favorite color is grey and she can beat just about anyone in a bubble blowing contest. You can find her on Twitter or her website. 

Classic mason jar fillers include marbles, pebbles, sand, and sea glass. Well, those materials are all well and good but the truth is, they lack the personal pizzazz your wedding requires. So, it's off to the grocery store bean and grain aisle for today's wedding decoration hack! Got a thing for The Black Eyed Peas? This aisle's your buddy. Film buffs? Popcorn kernels to the rescue. And if you want something basic, white beans, quinoa, and pearl barley are all in it to win it.

As for as step by step instruction goes, the how-to couldn't be easier.

Get your mason jars in order. You can buy these at most craft stores, hardware stores, garden stores, and grocery stores. Or you can Amazon it up.

Then go to the store, pick up a bunch of colorful dehydrated beans, rice, grains, nuts, etc, and fill your mason jars. We recommend trying natural food stores where you can buy in bulk. But at any grocery store, you can get lentils, black eyed peas, and more for under $1 a bag. Fill your jars about a quarter or third full and place candles on top. Press a little bit so the candle is firmly in place, and you're done!

Green Lentils have an earthy grassy feel to them, perfect for a springtime wedding.

Black Eyed Peas would be whimsical touch to a black tie wedding event, especially in the winter months. (And be sure to save them for New Year's for a little bit of luck!)

This mixture is a pre-made mix for Bean Soup. So colorful!

We love the speckled pattern found on Pinto Beans.

Popcorn Kernels! A great party favor for guests, or pair with a popcorn machine for a post-dance party snack fest. 

Plus, if you use votive candles or tea lights that come in thin metal casing, you can actually reuse the beans or grains after the wedding, or give them away as favors with your favorite recipes attached. 

And if you're down to get down with LED tea lights, the possibilities really . Some of our filler ideas that would work well with LED are: confetti, glitter, tissue paper, beads, buttons, potpourri, tea leaves, M&Ms, Skittles, Runts, crayons, sprinkles, yarn, paper hole punches, lavender, mini pinecones, and so much more. Stay tuned. ;)

What ideas do you have for creatively filling a mason jar candle holder? Tweet your ideas and photos our way, and we'll feature the best ones on our blog. And if you've got any questions that need answering, simply Ask Brit!

We've shown you what the future holds in terms of innovation for health and fitness, but what about a roundup of gadgetry that's ready to take your beauty regime to the next level? From a curling iron for your eyelashes to a magical blue light that battles blemishes, here are 12 of the best beauty gadgets around. And yes, lasers are involved.

1. Pocket Power File ($10): Need a high powered tool to tackle those finicky uneven nails? This pocket power file is ever-so-convenient, and will take care of any chips, nicks, or breaks as quickly as they show up. 

2. Tanda Pearl ($195):  Forget those stiff whitening strips and bleach trays that sting your gums. The Tanda Pearl is a revolutionary new ionic teeth whitening system. Its unique double-biting tray treats all your teeth, front and back, at the same time. In just 5 minutes, your teeth'll be sparklin'! 

3. Professional Heated Lash Curler ($16): That's right. A curling iron for your lashes that works even when you've already got mascara on.

4. Ionic Conditioning Dryer by iTools ($106): The hair dryer our resident stylist Misty swears by, this iTools dyer employs deeply restorative Ionic Conditioning technology to not only dry your hair, but protect it as well. We recommend using this with the iTools Bio-Ionic Conditioning Brush and, for summery waves, use the wondrous iTools diffuser. 

5. gHD Classic Styler ($98): When you need to straighten things up, you need something lightning fast and super effective. The gHD styler heats in just 30 seconds, with a protective outer casing that stays cool to the touch. Once heated, a chip inside detects what's going on and automatically adjusts the heat to your hair's texture and thickness. Plus, it automatically turns off if it's not in use for 30 minutes!

6. Gillette Mach M3 Razor + 10 Refills ($52): Known in the razor review circuit as "the one that got away," the Mach M3 Vibrating Razor is a force to be reckoned with. Originally marketed to men for a smooth daily shave, it works wonders on the legs of ladies as well. Its currently being offered up all over eBay for around 50 bucks, and seems to be well worth it. 

7. Silk'n SensEpil ($500): Or really sock it to your unwanted hair with the Silk'n SensEpil! This device uses safe, innovative, clinically proven Home Pulsed Light technology to remove unwanted hair. Unlike smaller laser devices, the SensEpil covers larger areas and delivers long term results.

8. La Tweez Illuminating Tweezers ($20): You know a company called La Tweez has gotta be peddling something fancy in the world of tweezerdom. And indeed they are. This sparkling set of Tweezers will clean up your brows even in the dimmest of rooms and will illuminate even the lightest stray brow hairs. 

9. Hot Tools Curling Iron ($28): This classic curling iron has been the best one on the market for a decade, and the newbies just can't compete. The 24 carat gold plated barrel circulates heat evenly among the barrel and the hair, and the patented pulse technology restores heat to the curler twirl after twirl. 

10. Skin Perfecting Blue Light ($275): Designed by dermatologists to treat acne quickly and effectively, this futuristic gadget uses blue light technology to eliminate the bacteria deep within the skin that causes breakouts and dulls complexion. The result is clear, radiant skin. P.S. Haven't you always wanted to zap those soon-to-be zits away with a laser?

11. Clarisonic Pro For Face & Body ($119-$225): This Sonic Skin Cleansing System uses Clarisonic's patented micro-massage motion to work within skin's natural elasticity to gently remove all impurities. Your skin will be bright, smooth, and deeply clean after just a week of use. If you're feeling Clarisonic-curious, we recommend the Mia, which is small, comes in every color, and is perfect for on-the-go beauty. 

12. Evolv Sidekick: Not on the market for in-home use just yet, the Evolv Sidekick is the first heated sunless tanning system of it's kind. Rather than a spray tan that leaves you feeling like a painted lady, the Evolv uses a two-step heated process to give you the perfect all-over glow. You can customize your color (from "Oh, I just had lunch in the sunshine" to "I just spent a week on the beach in Miami" as well as choose from Tea Tree, Coconut and Lime. Check out the website to find a Evolv-equipped spa near you.

What futuristic gadgets do you use on a daily basis? Got any tried-and-true classics we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter.

And today, there's another tool that has launched that makes it even easier for doers and makers to learn how to do anything. It's called Snapguide, and it's a super simple way to create and share "how-to" guides from your phone.

I've been playing with Snapguide for a couple weeks now (I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek before the launch) and have been extremely impressed. Unlike eHow, Instructables or WikiHow (some of the leading "how-to" publishing platforms on the web), Snapguide lets you publish instructions for doing things in realtime, via live photos and videos, as you're doing whatever it is you're doing. Instead of having to type out each direction step-by-step, you can even use their voice-to-text feature to simply tell what it is you're doing. If you already have photos or videos stored, you can upload those, too. Not everything has to be in realtime, it's just an option.

I used the app this morning to make a guide about How To Use Snapguide. (Clever, huh?) It took me a total of 5-10 minutes and included over a dozen "steps," proving how quick it is to create a guide from scratch.

As a DIY publisher myself, I think these kinds of tools can only help spread knowledge and information to more people. I'm super pumped that companies like this exist so that collectively, people of the world can become smarter, more creative and more resourceful. 

Download the app and check it out for yourself. And don't forget to follow me so that you can keep up with our guides! I'll be adding more of our DIY tutorials there soon.

Note: I am a part-investor in this company, but the opinions I express above are those of my own.

After scouring the web for fun ways to play with peeps, we couldn't help but add a few extra packs of peeps to our grocery basket this week. But what happens when you combine a bunch of peeps with the classic Rice Krispie Treat? Peep Krispie Treat Baskets!

Ingredients: 
- 3 boxes of bunny peeps (or 1 bag of marshmallows + 1 box of peeps)
- 1 box of grape licorice vines
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- green food coloring
- 2 cups Rice Krispies
- egg-shaped candy (jelly beans or chocolates)
- muffin pan

First, form your baskets. 

On the stovetop, put 24 peeps and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sized pot over low heat.

Once the peeps and butter are melted, fold in 2 cups of rice crispy cereal. Stir until mixed. Since we used all three colors, the baskets turned brown after a bit of caramelization. If you're looking for colored baskets, use just 1 color of peeps and be careful not to over-caramelize. 

Spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray or a light coating of butter. Split the mixture among 6-8 cups and press the mixture into each muffin cavity to form baskets. Work fast! It is better to form them into baskets while they are still warm. Leave in the muffin pan until completely cool. 

In a separate bowl, add some green food coloring to your coconut. Mix around until the coconut is evenly green.

Now it's time to assemble the basket! Grab a grape vine and put the two ends inside the basket to make a handle.

Stick a peep and some green coconut in the basket. Add a couple egg shaped candies - we used jelly beans but also love chocolate eggs. 

And voila! A Peep Krispie Treat basket filled with coconut grass, jelly beans and the Easter Bunny! These would be perfect table decorations for your Easter brunch or a great tasty gift for friends and family. 

Did you come up with any fun ideas for getting creative with Peeps? We'd love to see photos! Send a note to hello@hellobrit.com or tweet pics to @brit. 

Caitlin Dunn has been craving sweets since the day she was born. She quickly learned to bake but realized that her true passion is all in the decoration. If not in the kitchen, you will find her crafting her latest project of the week. Living in San Francisco has turned her a little 'green' which has changed her creative focus to making one person's trash another person's treasure. She documents the intersection of baking, crafts, tea, and everyday life on her blog teaspoon.

You know we can't live without our muffin pan and mini cookie cutters, but what other quirky, innovative, and helpful tools will you find in the Brit kitchen? Here are our 12 favorite gadgets, tricks, and doodads for equipping a fully functional crafty kitchen.

1. Piece of Cake Layer Slicing Kit ($60): Ever tried your hand at a homemade layer cake? One without using 5 different cake pans and taking all day baking? It's time to try it out, and this sweet slicing kit is truly a piece of cake. We love the idea of baking a bunch of different colored cakes and assembling an array of colorful mix-and-match cakes.

2. Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender ($30): Don't have the patience to process that Almond Cream of Broccoli Soup in batches in your food processor? Enter, the SmartStick. We use this for everything from soup to hummus to smoothies and everything in between.

3. Ziploc Bag + Hammer: Our tried and true technique for crushing Graham Crackers, Girl Scout cookies, Sweet Tarts, and Oreos, these two kitchen items are absolutely essential. We recommend heavy duty freezer bags, a cutting board (for underneath the Ziploc) and any old hammer. 

4. Chef Sleeve for iPad ($20 for 25 sleeves): The folks at Chef Sleeve know what's up. We all use our iPads for recipes, for listening to music (thank you Spotify) and for catching up on Glee while we cook. Now, thanks to the Chef Sleeve, we don't have to worry about spilling on our iPads, and can easily navigate through websites even if our hands are covered in frosting. ;)

5. Stem Citrus Spritzer ($5): How often do you find yourself squeeze a lemon or lime and you end up with way too much juice? For us, it's often. That's why we're so pumped about Quirky's easy Citrus Spritzer. Just pop it into any citrus fruit, and mist away!

6. Scoop Colander ($7): Sometimes the production of getting a colander out, putting it in the sink, and draining a pot over it is completely unnecessary. This scoop colander also works great to draining canned veggies, tofu, and washing small quantities of fruit!

7. Grip Grater ($25): Like a good man, a good grater is hard to find. Well, we've found one that is sure you cure your grating woes. You can use it either vertically or has a hand-held grater, or horizontally over a plate or bowl. Best of all, the plastic frame is equipped with non-slip grips making it super easy to grate over any surface. 

8. Wilton Cookie Sticks ($5): Can you say On A Stick? It's always good to have a big bag of cookie sticks around in case you feel like whipping up a spontaneous batch of Pop Rocks Pops or Easter Egg Pops. And stay tuned for a new round of pops later this week!

9. Portion Spoon ($9): When we're cooking, we've definitely found ourselves stirring things up with a measuring spoon just to make sure all the ingredients make it into the mix. Why not combine the two? Portion is a cooking spoon with integrated measurement tools. Woot woot!

10. Index Color Coded Chopping Boards ($34): You've likely seen these sweet little chopping blocks in the background of our Food posts, and with good reason. Not only do they make delightful backdrops, but each board is coded to make sure you keep raw meat, seafood, veggies, and cooked foods separate. Plus, they're all dishwasher safe!

11. Resin Santoku Knife with Sheath ($9): What would a super colorful cutting board set be without a bright orange Santoku knife? You can get away with using this knife for pretty much everything you could possibly want to cut. We love that it comes with a matching sheath so you can chef-ify even an impromptu picnic. 

12. Cheat Sheet Apron ($30): And finally, get your kitchen units in check. The number of times I've washed my hands mid-prep, taken out my iPhone and fired up Kitchen Unit Converter is countless. With this apron, all of your unit conversions are printed upside down, so you can simply look down at your apron and get all the info you need. 

And there you have it. A dozen of our favorite kitchen tools, perfect for making just about every recipe on HelloBrit.com. What are your favorite culinary gadgets? Leave recommendations in the comments below!

Downright difficult until now! Thanks to the Tamaggo, the digital 360 imaging experience is about to get a whole lot sharper, smoother, and simpler.

The Tamaggo 360-imager is the first device with a fully-integrated built in 360 degree panoramic technology, allowing you to capture the world around you seamlessly. Not only do you capture all three hundred and sixty degrees, but the photographs are high resolution and navigable. 

And the camera itself is already a social butterfly. Navigate through all of the 360 degree moments captured on the Tamaggo screen and share photos on Twitter and Facebook directly from the camera.

But when? And how much? The Tamaggo is scheduled to release later this year for less than $200. Less than $200 to take the art of capturing the world around you to a whole new level? We'll take it!

For camera nerds and electronics geeks, here are all the specs, straight from the Tamaggo site:

So next time you're in New York, you can actually show your friends and family an accurate portrayal of the bright lights and big city feeling of Times Square. ;) 

What gorgeous sites or moments would you like to capture with a Tamaggo? Any other camera wizardry you love that we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below or send us photo ideas on Twitter.

It was only through weeks of extensive searching that I found a handful of go-to sites where I purchased the bulk of my wedding supplies and decor. And to save you time on your own shopping, I wanted to share my favorites with you, complete with a couple of suggestions from our own readers. After all, it only fits, what with our "party-inspired" topics this week.

Before you go into full out buy-mode, get inspired with two of our favorite party-planning blogs, Kara’s Party Ideas and Hostess with the Mostess. You’ll love them almost as much as you love Pinterest. Be forewarned, though, just like Pinterest, each of these sites will respectively suck at least an hour out of your life.

First and foremost, though not surprising, Etsy was the site I used the most for supplies and decor. Though the search experience can be a bit rigorous, especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for, I was able to find all kinds of goodies, from chains that I used for DIY laser cut necklaces I made my bridesmaids to wooden card holders I used in my centerpiece designs. Check out all of my favorite Etsy shops to get more specific shop recommendations.

Two more party-specific sites that I love are Cocodot and Shop Sweet Lulu. They are well-designed and feature some of the prettiest things to buy for any event. Oh, and how delicious do these petit fours look? Perfect for any sort of shower.

Making my own bouquet, all of my bridesmaids bouquets, the corsages for my mom and mother-in-law, and all of the boutonnieres for the groomsmen was quite a feat! There was only one reason I was able to get it all done cheaply with such a beautiful outcome, and it’s called Save On Crafts. This site was right up there with Etsy in terms of the time and money I spent on it. They have everything from fake flowers to bottles and jars... even LED fiber optic light strands! Can you see why I was (and still am) so addicted? Here’s a shot of the wooden planters I laser etched for our centerpieces -- only $8 each!

You know those LED sunglasses (AKA “party goggles") I passed around to all my guests? Those only cost me a couple bucks each. How did I find such an awesome deal on light-up sunglasses, you ask? Because I bought wholesale from China! Yes, it sounds super random and a little sketchy, but given that you’ll likely have over 100 people at your event, you are in a great position to order items in bulk, and no one manufactures and distributes bulk shipments cheaper than Alibaba. Check out Ali Express and start searching for fun supplies of your own!

Finally, there are the staples: Amazon, Party City, Oriental Trading (I got dozens of amazing colorful lanterns to make our pixel ceiling from this place!), and of course, good old Target. Out of all of them, I have to say that Amazon was the most beneficial. I mean, they sell EVERYTHING -- even plastic cowboy boot beer mugs! If you’re a bride and you’re NOT an Amazon Prime member yet, sign up immediately. You might quickly get obsessed with buying stuff, but the free 2-day shipping is totally worth it.

What did I miss? Share your favorite wedding and party decor shopping sites in the comments below. Oh and stay tuned for a round-up of my favorite online invitation sites!

You've likely seen the ombre trend gracing your Pinterest feed in the form of hair, makeup, clothing, accessories, and even cake. But what about getting your nails involved? Well, with the help of a sponge or two, we're pleased to bring the gorgeous gradient trend to our nails in the form of a DIY Sponge Manicure.

Materials:
- 3 nail polishes that work in a gradient (for ex: pink, orange, yellow)
- clear base and top coat 
- nail polish remover
- sponge paintbrush, eye shadow applicators or a kitchen sponge
- pointy Q-tips 

After trying just about every sponge we could find, we've narrowed it down to three favorites: the kitchen sink sponge, the eyeshadow sponge brush, and the sponge paintbrush. 

First up, the Kitchen Sink Sponge.

Grab a sponge from under your kitchen sink (and old one will work just fine) and cut off a small piece to use for painting. Our sponge piece was about three quarters of an inch in width. Dampen the sponge ever so slightly so that it's not stiff. Take your nail polish and paint a few stripes to create an ombre pattern.

You can also use it to create this crazy neon camo look. 

Stamp the sponge onto your nails and stamp again for brighter colors. Immediately apply your top coat - this will make the ombre blend smoothly. Use a Q-tip and nail polish remover to remove any smudges, and you're all set. 

Next (and our favorite), the Eyeshadow Sponge Brush.

If you love makeup as much as we do, you've probably got a few eyeshadow brushes lying around. And hopefully you aren't using them because you have the awesome brush set we recommended in our Everyday Makeup Essentials post. ;)

These are perfect for nail polish sponging because they are so close to the size of your nails. Paint 3 colors in stripes (best to use colors that work naturally as a gradient) and stamp the brush onto your nail. Do two coats and finish off with your clear top coat. 

Last, the Sponge Paintbrush.

We use these for everything. For Scratch-Off Polaroids, brightly colored Cleaning Tools, and even our DIY Glitter Heels. The best thing about the paintbrush sponge technique is that you can create pretty much any design you want and stamp it right onto your nail. Because the brush is flat, its super easy to get creative. As with the other techniques, seal the deal with a clear top coat and use a Q-Tip and nail polish to clean up any polish that made it outside the lines.

We also created a Neon Sparkle Chevron print with this, of course!

And here we've got all of the techniques on one set of crazy colorful nails!

For a more basic approach, go for the Solar System manicure inspired by some of the Apple packaging we've got kicking around Brit HQ. If you're feeling glittery, add a few swirls of silver or purple glitter to it and mimic a gorgeously galactic meteor shower. ;) 

We'd love to see your nail creations using our scrappy sponge techniques. Send photos our way to hello@hellobrit.com or Twitpic it up and send to @brit.

Our biggest dilemma? Deciding how we're going to run all of them! We can't pick just one. Which are your favorites?

The Ultimate Mud Run
As if mud runs weren't messy and challenging enough, the new "ultimate mud run" kicks it up a notch by being the first-ever night time mud run held in the U.S. It's a 7+ mile course over uneven, wet grounds with 25 obstacles you must overcome. All obstacles are lit with spotlights and neon colors, and the entire path is illuminated with tiki torches and other innovative lighting systems. The run is being held in New Jersey, Florida, California, Massachusetts and Georgia. 

The Hot Chocolate 15k
Will you run for chocolate? We will! Nicknamed "America's Sweetest Race," runners of the Hot Chocolate 15k are treated to a post-race party involving a chocolate fondue, hot cocoa and chocolate treats from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. Participating cities include Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Denver, San Francisco, Phoenix, or Atlanta races.

The Color Run
Pretty much the most colorful race idea ever, The Color Run lets you get a little artsy on your 5k as you get doused with colorful pixel dust thrown on you by onlookers. Read more about it in our previous post.

The Oz Marathon
Held in the "Land of Oz", AKA the Garmin world headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, is the Oz Marathon, a wickedly fun race through the streets and trails of eastern Kansas. Not only can you sign up for the Oz Marathon, but there's also a Wickedly Fast Half, a Dorothy Dash 5k and even Munchkin Marathons for the kids. Hurry up and register - the race horn blows on April 21st!

Walt Disney World Marathon
Pull out your Cinderella dress, Pocahontas braids, and belly-baring Jasmine bralette as you prepare to run through the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World hosts a marathon, half marathon, Princess half marathon (!), "Family Fiesta 5k" and several kids races through their theme park, complete with Disney entertainment on-course. Plus, once you win, you may be so lucky as to receive a Micky Mouse or Donald Duck Finisher Medal. Score!

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon
If you're looking for a more mature, adult Disney running experience, try the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, a run through three Disney Theme Parks that ends at an exclusive after-hours party at Epcot to coincide with the International Wine & Food Festival. That's our idea of a fun night out.

Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon
Granted, Lululemon is one of our favorite fitness brands, so perhaps we're biased, but this SeaWheeze Half Marathon held in Vancouver B.C. (hometown of Lululemon!) sounds quite enticing. It's not just a half marathon, it's a full day event. You start with sunrise yoga, complete the half marathon, shower/recover, then come pack for a concert and sunset yoga to round out the day. And, because it's sponsored by Lululemon, there's an apparel bonus! As listed on the site: "If you sign up by May 1st, 2012, you will receive a “special package’ from us. What is in this special package and why is it time-dependent, you may be wondering? Because we want you to train in rad product, that’s why." We're in.

Dog Runs
Don't leave Fido (or in our case, Pixel) behind! Check out all of the 5k and 10k dog-friendly runs across the country and sign up your marathon dog. We're thinking of getting Pixel registered for the All Star Dog Run in Santa Cruz. (Photo courtsey of the K-9 5K race website.)

North Pole Marathon
I mean, it's a marathon on the North Pole, run entirely on frozen water (of the Arctic Ocean). It doesn't get "cooler" than that.

Know of any other creative races that should be on our running radar? Leave us a note in the comments below or find us on Twitter.

The glassware equivalent of the mullet (party in the back, business in the front), these Wine Shot Glasses are just what you need to turn the beat around at your next soiree. In fact, we're confused as to why these aren't standard issue in liquor and glassware cabinets the world over. 

Start your party off with a classy round of wine or cocktails. Sip casually as you discuss current events, business, and the latest show at the Met. When it's time to kick things up a notch, gather everyone around, chug whatever wine you've got left, grab some tequila, and turn those glasses upside down! Recommended soundtrack? The Black Keys (with wine) followed by Girl Talk and LMFAO (with shots).

Materials:
- 4 plastic glasses (we used plastic tumblers from Target)
- 4 shot glasses (dollar store-d it up for these!)
- clear hardware glue or epoxy (we used Beacon Multi-Grip) 

First, get all of your materials ready. For us, this meant taking off the labels and giving everything a good wash. For the glasses, you could easily use promotional glasses you've received or just buy an inexpensive set. We went with plastic because we felt it would be lighter on top, and wide enough to be sturdy on the bottom. These would be a great thing to look for at a thrift shop so you can get a little mix and match action going. For the shot glasses, they're easy enough to find at a dollar store but we love the idea of repurposing all those souvenir shot glasses we've picked up along the way. 

Apply a thin but full-coverage layer of glue to the bottom rim of the shot glass.

Press the bottom of the shot glass to the bottom center of the regular glass, and hold for 1 minute. Use a toothpick or popsicle stick to clean up any glue that oozes out.

It’s best to let them set overnight, so it’s a good Thursday night DIY in preparation for party time. Pair these glasses with a dozen snacks on a stick, and a well-planned party, and you'll instantly be the hostess (or host!) with the mostest.

How do you get creative when you're hosting a cocktail party? Got any party planning problems that need solving? Leave us a note in the comments below or send questions to Ask Brit.

1. Eggplant Lollipops: Lollipop lollipop oh lolli lollipop. Bet you never thought you’d see the words eggplant and lollipop in such close proximity. Think of it as a mini eggplant parmigiana, on a stick! (Recipe and photo: La receta de la felicidad) 

2. Elote On A Stick: Adapted from Matt Armendariz's aptly named snack cookbook, On A Stick, this colorful corn concoction is best fired up on the grill. (Recipe and photo: The Four Seasonings)

3. Pizza Pops: Pizza in pop form. Totally magical. We love the idea of adapting this recipe for your next pizza party, or for interactive hors d'oeuvres. This recipe is especially fun for kids! (Recipe and photo: The Decorated Cookie) 

4. Goat Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans, and Bacon: What looks like the saltiest marshmallow around is actually a sizable dollop of goat cheese. Creamy, delicious and covered with savory goodness. We recommend mixing it up and trying walnuts, dried cranberries, rosemary and a drizzle of honey for a sweeter mix. (Recipe and photo: Mom It Forward) 

5. Sesame Pumpkin Skewers: A great bite size move for the grill or the oven, all you do chop up some pumpkin, marinate in sesame seeds and a touch of sesame oil, skewer it up and cook! (Recipe and photo: JungleFrog Cooking) 

6. Lemongrass Chicken Skewers: Our second foray into skewers, we love the creative use of lemongrass as a stick in this recipe. For a veggie variety, replace the chicken with extra-firm tofu or tempeh. (Recipe and photo: Served With Love) 

7. Sweet Potato Samosa Pops: Now this is what we're talking about. What looks like a sweet pastry is actually a curry-filled pocket of deliciousness, straight from the subcontinent. (Recipe and photo: Veggie Belly) 

8. Raspberry, Mint & Mozzarella Skewers: A surprising and scrumptious combo, this skewer set screams summer. (Recipe and photo: Biscuits and Such) 

9. Cheese Lollipops: We can't help but giggle giddily at these savory lollipops. Sure, they're not traditional lollipops but they look so darling, and taste even better. We might have to try our hand at Latke Lollipops this holiday season. (Recipe and photo: Uno De Dos) 

10. Salad on a Stick: When that lonely salad of yours just isn't stacking up at the BBQ, put it on a stick! This works best with iceberg lettuce, but we recommend bundling up a few leaves of arugula and sneaking them in there as well. (Recipe and photo: The Food Network) 

11. Mini Beer and Sausage Corn Dogs: What would a roundup of deliciousness on a stick be without Corn Dogs? Sort of an Easter European take on an American classic, this recipe uses bratwurst or kielbasa covered in a beer-cornmeal batter. Beer-infused food? Yes please. (Recipe and photo: CHOW)

12. Crunchy Chicken Stuffed Waffle Pops: A close cousin of the sweet and savory Mini Chicken N' Waffles, this recipe makes use of a handy dandy waffle maker. What else could fill a waffle maker with and turn into a pop? (Recipe and photo: Snappy Gourmet)

As you can see, the possibilities for snacks on a stick are pretty endless. In fact, we found so many savory takes on the pop that we had to resist including any form of cake pop, Easter Egg Pop, or popsicle! Which recipe from this roundup is your favorite? Leave us a note in the comments below or send favorite picks our way on Twitter. 

The best we can hope for is to plan ahead, double-check our spreadsheets, and then wing it. As a professional event planner, I love to be prepared and I also love technology. Here is a list of the Top 10 Tech Tools that will help you throw a party like a pro from the planning stage to making sure your guests get home safely and recover the morning after. Keep in mind, while all these planning apps and tips are super helpful, what matters the most is who you invite, as the people are what make the party!

1. Planning: No more scraps of paper with unorganized notes and to-do lists. Simple Soiree is a super functional and comprehensive party planning app that is easy to use and will help keep your party detailed and organized! This is a one stop shop that will help you get a theme going, record RSVP’s, coordinate shopping lists, track your party decor, entertainment, errands, and more. The invite feature allows you to create an invitation that sends an elegant HTML email and Web Page to all your guests! 

2. Invitations: We all know Evite, but pingg offers more customizable artistic invitations including artwork by established and emerging artists and are available online and in print. We particularly love their charity registry feature, called “Changing the Present,” where hosts can choose from a variety of charities in a categorized, cause-specific list. Their social networking linking is one of the best found online, linking up to nearly every popular social networking service, making sure everyone is kept in the loop about your event from time changes to reminders. Bonus Features: You can add videos and music!

3. Digital Bar Companion: You are probably wondering what this is. Drinkspiration by Absolut is a free app provides you with instant drink recommendation no matter what your preferences are. Just tell the app what drinks you are looking for – based on categories such as taste, color, weather, trends, time, location, bar vibe, or much, much more. The application includes 400 drinks based on vodka, gin, rum, brandy, whisky and tequila - complete with cool images and expertly crafted recipes. This app even has a location based feature using GPS!

4. Music Playlists: I’d say this might be the most important part of your party, aside from having the right people there! But, then again I’m a bit of a music fanatic. If you can’t afford to hire an actual dj, there are still some great options out there. I fall more in love with Spotify every day, and am especially fond of their collaborative playlist feature. Simply right click on the playlist in the sidebar menu and select the collaborative playlist option instead of publishing. This way people with whom you share the list will be able to add their own tracks.

Also, be sure to check out TuneTug. This cool services lets you vote for your favorite songs and lets guests  ‘Tug’ up and down songs with their mobile phone that they want to hear. This way everyone can be the DJ!

5. Live Entertainment: If you want to take your party up a notch and go beyond the typical dj or Playlist, check out Hear It Local. Currently available in San Francisco and the Twin Cities, Hear It Local lets you discover and book the best independent musicians for your own private party or living room concert! They will also give you the fundraising tools to fund live music events through your friends online. Love it!

6. Digital Photobooth: Everyone loves taking their own pics at parties, but photobooths are always so much fun and create great interaction between guests. There are many companies out there that do this, but we are big fans of Photography for Good and SmileBooth. Think open air booth meets studio fashion shoot. Both companies have the most incredible themed custom props, costumes, and backdrops and will be by far the best photo booth you will ever experience. Get your digital photo in a snap or tweet away your shots to people that weren’t invited. ;)

7. Meal Planning: Pepperplate is a great app that will help plan a menu for your soiree. Recipes, menus and schedules appear on the iPad without connecting to a computer and you can track and update timers remotely. You can also use Pepperplate online to import recipes from the most popular sites, or add your own. Other features include cooking several recipes at the same time and setting timers for each one, or you can set the app to iPad cook mode to prevent your screen from dimming.

8. Party Rentals: Most of the party rental stores out there can be kind of a pain in the butt to deal with. I always wish that I could just hop online and get all of my additional glassware with just a simple click. Getable has made this a reality. This service connects people with their favorite products on-demand, from trusted rental establishments. You can pretty much find anything you need from any rental company. They have a young customer demographic that is focused on "access over ownership" which makes perfect sense for those throwing a one-time party.

9. Group Chats: Get the convo started with a group of your friends that will be attending your upcoming party and start generating some buzz. It’s collaborative and you can ask your friends last minute to grab that extra bag of ice. Group Me is a cool free service that allows you to create groups with people already in your contacts. When you send a message, it is instantly received. It’s just like a private chat room that works on any phone. 

10. Getting Home Safely: As the night goes on, you may have some guests that had a bit too much to drink and Last Call lets you check. This app will calculate your blood-alcohol level to determine if it’s safe to drive. You can also use the app to call a cab and it even provides a list of local DUI lawyers. If you can't get a cab through Last Call, fire up the Uber app and ride home safely and in style.

Bonus Graffiti Gadget: You may not have the budget for this one, but if you do, the YR Graffiti Wall by Lumacoustics is pretty rad! This is a fantastic interactive tool for creating digital, virtual graffiti on a large screen using a modified spray paint can. Instead of paint, when the cap is pressed the can ‘sprays’ infrared light, which is tracked by a computer as it moves across the screen. The digital paint appears wherever the can is sprayed, just like spraying paint on a real wall. Let your inner bad girl or boy come out and get your tag on! Designs can be saved as a jpeg and can be used to create all sorts of mementos such as stickers, t-shirts and photos. It’s just like real graffiti, but you won’t make a mess or get arrested. 

What apps or gadgets do you use for party planning? Tweet tips our way or leave a note in the comments below. Now... time to party!

Amanda Cey is the founder and CEO of ABCey Events, San Francisco’s premier corporate event planning firm and has produced events for Apple, Oracle, Tesla, Adobe, L’Oreal and more. She has also been featured in the New York Times bestseller The Facebook Era and has just launched a new website and brand.You can also find Amanda on Facebook, Twitter, G+, LinkedIn or follow her Events blog.

NIKE iD: You've probably eyed a few pairs of neon Nikes on your daily commute. It's time to get online and make your own! We recommend taking inspiration from the color block trend.

Adidas: Remember your first pair of Sambas? And remember how awesome it was when you found that pair of baby blue vintage ones? Those three strips are forever in style, and deserve a zig zag update.

Vans: Talk about classic. Along with nostalgia for neon, we've got some serious nostalgia for Vans. We love all of the polka dot and checkered pattern options on this site.

Milk and Honey: Love our DIY Glitter Heel tutorial? How about a pair of digital DIY glittery wedges? From glitter to sequins to snake skin to patent leather, Milk and Honey lets you customize every single aspect of your shoes, including heel height. 

Shoes of Prey: And finally, we have Shoes of Prey. Similar to Milk and Honey, these are sure to give Christian Louboutin a run for his money. Forget that crimson sole, how 'bout a gold sequined one? Ok ok, we know we can get carried away with the sparkly stuff but get on this site and have some fun dreaming up all sorts of colorful shoe combos.

And word on the street is that Zazzle will be bringing back their glorious custom Keds as well as a whole array of custom canvas shoes later this year. Stay tuned!

Got any custom kick sites we should know about? Leave us a note in the comments below!

With the goal of bringing tacos to everyone (err… everyone with a smartphone), TacoCopter is quite possibly the most delicious startup idea we've seen in a while. You simply order tacos on your smartphone, position your GPS where you'd like the tacos to land and, lo and behold, a flying robot will deliver tacos to your location.

Sure, this will spice up your next lunch in the park but we're more excited about the late night possibilities. Who needs a cigarette break when you can step outside and wait for a taco to drop out of the sky?

For now, TacoCopter is in Private Beta in SF only and has run into a hiccup or two with the FAA. And, TacoCopter's East Coast cousin, LobsterCopter, is also on hold. That's right, the government is standing in the way of robot delivery tacos and lobster rolls. But what else could be delivered using quadcopters or drone delivery? Could the future of delivery actually become unmanned and automated? (And, are we the only ones who can't help but think of those magical parachutes in The Hunger Games?)

Do you think TacoCopter is an awesome idea, something you can't live without, or a totally silly pipe dream? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below or holler at us on Twitter. 

Update: Sadly, TacoCopter is, in fact, a silly pipe dream. But, fear not. It has only inspired us to build our own DIY drones, as commenter Karl Jacob has suggested below. Stay tuned! 

The web has followed suit, and most websites these days generally have a handful of Easter eggs of their own. It's a fun treat for users of these sites to find, and makes browsing the Internet even more fun. Watch the video above see 8 of my favorite hidden surprises from around the web. Which is your favorite?

Do you know of more? Leave a comment explaining where they are at and how to find them! 

Easter may change dates on us each year, but we all know it's coming soon when the infamous Peeps show up in stores. They're an Easter staple that people either love or hate, but here at Brit HQ, we scoured the web and found some fun ways that everyone can enjoy them. And be sure to stay tuned for our own Peep hack later this week!

1. Peep Wreath: We've shown you how to make a fully customizable wreath, but what about making it edible? Truth be told, you might not want to eat this after it's been hanging on your door but your guests will certainly get chuckle. (Source: Gerbera Designs)

2. Pink Vase with Peeps: Add some pink peeps to your Gerbera Daisy flower arrangement for a colorful and cute Easter brunch table setting. (Source: Flower Duet)

3. Tuxedo Peeps: We didn't know peeps had fancy events to attend, but these peeps are red carpet-ready and down to get down! (Source: The Family Kitchen)

4. Peep Pops: We love whipping up a batch of Pop Rocks Cake Pops and Easter Egg Pops, but what about Peep Pops? Put them on a lollipop stick, dip them in candy coating, and decorate! Bonus points for dorking it up with this Storm Trooper design. (Source: Sugar Swings)

5. Peep Sushi: Love the idea of sushi but aren't too keen on raw fish? Well how about turning that sushi into a tasty dessert: a peep wrapped in a Rice Krispie treat and candy. The only thing that would make these Sushi Peeps cuter? A Starburst heart made with a mini cookie cutter. (Source: Serious Eats)

6. Peeps Mirror: Keep your peeps close when you gaze into this sunburst mirror. In fact, get your honey in the mirror with you and feel free to summon Shaggy: Girl, you're my angel, you're my darling angel, closer than my peeps you are to me, baby… (Source: Double Wide In The Sky)

7. Peep Topiary: Hosting an outdoor picnic on Easter? We think a Peeps topiary is a perfect backyard decoration. (Source: How Does She)

8. Peeps S'mores: Add a little color to your next camping trip by toting a box of peeps along for the campfire. If you really feel like gettin' fancy, whip up a batch of No Bake S'Mores Pie and add a few Peeps! (Source: Steamy Kitchen)

9. Push Peep Pops: Fellow 90's kids can appreciate the greatness of a push pop. Throw some cupcakes and a peep in a push pop container for an extra special treat this Easter. (Source: Love From The Oven)

Do you love or hate Peeps? Have any creative ideas for repurposing them into housewares or delicious treats? Send ideas and photos our way on Twitter.

Caitlin Dunn has been craving sweets since the day she was born. She quickly learned to bake but realized that her true passion is all in the decoration. If not in the kitchen, you will find her crafting her latest project of the week. Living in San Francisco has turned her a little 'green' which has changed her creative focus to making one person's trash another person's treasure. She documents the intersection of baking, crafts, tea, and everyday life on her blog teaspoon.

First off, what are Miracle Noodles? In healthy foodie circles, they're all the rage. Also known as shirataki noodles, Miracle Noodles are calorie free, gluten free and soy free. They are made using konnyaku flour, and are an essential part of a healthy low-carb, high fiber diet. And, they just happen to be the perfect homespun addition to our roundup of 12 Healthy Pasta Dishes.

Like similarly textured glass noodles, they come already cooked. You simply need to blanch the noodles for one minute in boiling water, and they're ready to go! But naturally, we took these miraculous noodles one step further and, with help from our trusty muffin pan, turned them into tasty Noodle Nests!

Sesame Tofu Nests

Ingredients (makes 4 nests):
- 1 package angel hair Miracle Noodles
- 1/2 egg
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 carrot, in peel form
- 1 tsp peanut butter
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped tofu
- garnish: cilantro, bean sprouts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a muffin pan with a light covering of oil or non-stick cooking spray. Prepare the noodles as directed (rinse + blanch). Place in a mixing bowl. Peel one carrot until you can't peel anymore. Add the peels to the pasta mix. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 an egg with peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame seeds.

Add the egg mix to the carrots and noodles and mix well. Add in red onion and tofu and mix.

Twirl noodles into your muffin pan. We made two nests using cupcake liners and two without. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve atop a bed of crunch bean sprouts. Yum!

Arugula Pesto Mushroom Nests

Ingredients (makes 4 nests);
- 1 package fettucini Miracle Noodles
- 1 cup arugula
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup white beans
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup diced mushrooms
- 1/2 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- garnish: diced tomato, arugula

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a muffin pan with a light covering of oil or non-stick cooking spray. Prepare the noodles as directed (rinse + blanch). Place in a mixing bowl. 

To make your arugula pesto, combine arugula, walnuts, white beans, oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor. Add additional olive oil until you get a good consistency. You want this to be pretty thick because it will be the glue that keeps your nests together!

Toss pesto in with pasta. Add 1/2 an egg and mix in. Add diced mushrooms. Twirl into muffin pan. Like with the Sesame Tofu Nests, we made two nests using cupcake liners and two without. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Garnish with tomato and serve atop a bed of arugula. Bon appetit!

Have you tried Miracle Noodles or any other healthy pasta alternatives? We'd love to try out your recipes. Leave us a note in the comments below or send a note to hello@hellobrit.com. 

Today, we're kicking off a new feature on the site called "Ask Brit," which is exactly what it sounds like: you readers can ask us for help with any creative ideas you're needing, technology issues you're having (consider us you're go-to tech support hub!), or products you're having trouble finding.

Why are we doing this? We've been receiving your emails, wall posts, and Twitter questions, and would like to provide a centralized way for you to continue asking any questions you might have. (It will also help us organize the questions so that we can respond easier!) Not only are we always brainstorming ideas, but we're also on the web all the time (like, pretty much 24/7) and see all kinds of products, apps and ideas that can make everyday living more efficient, creative and fun. Consider us an idea vault that you can always turn to for help.

A few examples of questions that have been asked recently include:

- How can I decorate for a party using nothing but red plastic Solo cups?
- What's a creative graduation gift?
- My daily breakfast routine is getting boring. Do you have any new creative (and easy to make) breakfast ideas?
- What are the latest & hippest apps for losing weight?
- How can I repurpose stuff I already have in order to decorate my home?

We hope we can help you find the answer you're looking for, and even if we can't, we can at least get you one step closer. Though we can't promise we'll be able to respond to every one of you, we will try our hardest and might even include your question in a future post or video. So, what are you waiting for? Ask away!

Speaking of random (but delicious) food-centered holidays, today is apparently National Chip and Dip Day. Any frequent hostess or host will tell you that good old chips and dip is the bread and butter of any cocktail party or happy hour, so why not class up your favorite party staple?

Pro Chip n' Dip Tip: There's a whole host of incredible vintage, handmade, one-of-a-kind chip and dip platters on Etsy. Do a straight up "chip and dip" search and feast your eyes on mid-century ceramic awesomeness. 

1. Blue Eagle Pottery Chip and Dip Platter ($65)

2. Bamboo Lazy Susan ($50)

3. Nambe Scoop Chip and Dip Server ($225)

4. Swirl Chip & Dip Server ($20)

5. Scandinavian Carved Wood Chip Dip ($39)

6. Silver Cowboy Hat Chip and Dip ($85) 

7. Handmade Ceramic Chip and Dip ($85)

8. Retro Pfaltzgraff Chip and Dip Pear ($22)

9. Wood Classics Dansk Chip N' Dip ($70)

10. Glass One Piece Chip and Dip ($20)

11. Cubist Chips + Dip Set ($70)

12. Acacia Chip and Dip ($30)

How do you get your chips and dips on when it's party time? Got any awesome dip recipes we've just gotta try? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter. Happy Chippin' & Dippin'!

Easter is just around the corner, and we're cooking up all sorts of goodness at Brit HQ. First up, Easter Egg Pops. 

Materials:
- plastic easter eggs
- an empty egg carton
- 1 pushpin
- 2 wooden kebab skewers (or anything with a pointy end that is food-friendly)
- straws, lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks
- popsicle filling (we used Gatorade and Vitamin Water)
- metal piping tip or super small funnel

Take the bottom half of your egg and place it so the flat edge is on your work surface. Use a push pin to poke a hole in the center, and two on the side. The two side-holes are to provide air circulation when you're pouring in your Vitamin Water or Gatorade. 

Back to the center hole. To make the hole large enough to pour through, use a wooden kebab skewer and twisting motion to enlarge the hole.

Then, push the tip of a piping tip or small funnel through the hole.

Pour any kind of drink in through the hole. We recommend pouring over the sink, but you can also place in an egg cup. Once your egg is a little less than full, place in an egg carton, hole-side up. Place a straw or popsicle stick in the hole.